C at Specialist Gro up

Species 

Newsletter of the Species Survival Commission 

IUCN—The World Conservation Union 

Number 34, Fall 2000

S p e c i e s is the newsletter of the Species 

S u rv ival Commission of I U C N— The 

Wo rld Conservation Union. Commission 

m e m b e rs , in addition to providing leaders h i p 

for conservation effo rts for specific plant 

and animal gro u p s , c o n t ri bute technical 

and scientific counsel to biodive rsity 

c o n s e rvation projects throughout the 

wo rl d. Commission members also serve 

as re s o u rces to gove rn m e n t s ,i n t e rn at i o n a l 

c o nve n t i o n s , and conservation orga n i z ations. 

E d i t o r 

M i chael Klemens 

Assistant Editor 

M i chelle Black 

D e s i g n e rs 

Diane Cava l i e ri 

K rista Mozdzierz-Skach 

S P E C I E S S U R V I V A L C O M M I S S I O N 

Opinions ex p ressed in this publ i c ation do not 

n e c e s s a ri ly re flect official views of I U C N / S S C. 

ISSN 1016-927X 

S p e c i e sis printed on re cy cled pap e r. 

©2000 I U C N– The Wo rld Conservation Union

C o n t e n t s 

The S S C— O p e rations and Plans 

From the Chairm a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 

S S C O ffice Rep o rt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 

Species Surv ival Commission 

Triennial Rep o rt 1997-1999 . . . . . . . . . . .7 

N ew s 

Ke eping the Wo rl d ’s Seab i rds off The 

H o o k : The Save the A l b at ross 

Campaign of Bird L i fe Intern at i o n a l . . .1 4 

Pa rt n e rships for Pro t e c t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 5 

C ray fish Wo rking Gro u p . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6 

G a l l i fo rmes Specialist Gro u p s . . . . . . . . . .1 6 

C o n s e rvation Needs of Crabs in 

S ey chelles Under Study . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6 

Recent Species Info rm ation Service 

(SIS) A c t iv i t i e s ,June 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . .1 8 

In Memori a m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 0 

B o o k s 

H e ron Conservat i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 3 

Specialist Group Rep o rt s 

A n i m a l s 

A n t e l o p e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 4 

A f rican Elep h a n t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 6 

A f rican Rhino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 0 

Asian Elep h a n t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 1 

Asian Rhino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 2 

Asian Wild Cat t l e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 4 

B i s o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 5 

C at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 7 

C e t a c e a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 0 

C o rm o rant (WI/Bird L i fe / S S C ) . . . . . . . . . .4 3 

C racid (WPA / B i rd L i fe / S S C ) . . . . . . . . . . . .4 4 

C rane (Bird L i fe / S S C ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 6 

C ro c o d i l e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 8 

D iver/Loon (WI/Bird L i fe / S S C ) . . . . . . . . .5 0 

E q u i d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 5 

G ro u p e rs and W ra s s e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 6 

G rouse (WPA / B i rd L i fe / S S C ) . . . . . . . . . . .5 7 

H ya e n a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 9 

Inland Water Cru s t a c e a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 0 

L ago m o rp h . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 1 

M a d agascar and Mascarene Rep t i l e 

and A m p h i b i a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 3 

M a rine Tu rt l e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 4 

M egapode (WPA / B i rd L i fe / S S C ) . . . . . . . .6 6 

M o l l u s c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 8 

N ew Wo rld Pelican (WI/Bird L i fe / S S C ) . . .7 0 

O rt h o p t e roid Insects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 1 

O t t e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 4 

Pa rt ri d ge, Q u a i l , and Fra n c o l i n 

( W PA / B i rd L i fe / S S C ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 6 

Pheasant (WPA / B i rd L i fe / S S C ) . . . . . . . . . .7 8 

P i g s , Pe c c a ri e s ,and Hippos . . . . . . . . . . . .7 8 

Polar Bear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 2 

P ri m at e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 3 

S e a l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 9 

S i re n i a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 3 

Social Insects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 4 

South Asian Reptile and A m p h i b i a n . . . . . .9 5 

Tap i r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 6 

Th re atened Wat e r fowl (WI/SSC) . . . . . . .1 0 0 

Wader (WI/SSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 0 1 

West Indian Iguana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 0 4 

Wo l f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 0 6 

P l a n t s 

A rabian Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 0 7 

B ryo p hy t e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1 0 

Cactus and Succulent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1 2 

C y c a d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1 3 

East A f rica Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1 5 

F u n gi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1 7 

Indian Subcontinent Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2 0 

Ko rean Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2 2 

M a c a ronesian Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2 4 

Medicinal Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2 5 

O rchid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 2 7 

P t e ri d o p hy t e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 3 0 

D i s c i p l i n a ry 

C o n s e rvation Bre e d i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 3 1 

I nva s ive Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 3 3 

R e - i n t ro d u c t i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 3 5 

S u s t a i n able Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 3 7 

Ve t e ri n a ry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 4 3 

Task Fo rce 

D e clining Amphibian Po p u l at i o n s . . . . . .1 4 5 

Species i

ii Species

The SSC—Operations and Plans 

From the Chairm a n 

The role of S p e c i e s as the newsletter of the 

Species Surv ival Commission is never better 

d e m o n s t rated than in the editions that are issued 

at the time of a Wo rld Conservation Congress. 

In this issue you will find rep o rts fro m 

m a ny of the Specialist Groups that fo rm the 

Commission. Ta ke the time to read them caref 

u l ly and you will be amazed at the breadth of 

a c t iv i t y, of cre at iv i t y, of dedication to conservat 

i o n ,t h at can be found in this netwo rk of exp 

e rts. I am certain you will find new ideas, n ew 

c o n n e c t i o n s ,and perhaps even some new partn 

e rships to add value in your own wo rk . 

The SSC enters the Second Wo rld Conservation 

Congress in A m m a n , Jo rdan with more 

than 120 Specialist Groups and over 7,000 

m e m b e rs. More than 50 persons are dire c t ly 

e m p l oyed in support of the netwo rk , either dire 

c t ly via the Species Programme of the IUCN 

S e c re t a ri at , as Exe c u t ive Offi c e rs or staff of 

va rious Specialist Gro u p s ,or as staff dedicat e d 

to the wo rk of the SSC in partner orga n i z ations. 

In December 1990, just a short decade 

ago , as we we re prep a ring to go to the Genera l 

A s s e m bly in Pe rt h ,Au s t ra l i a ,we we re marve lling 

at having 2,800 members ! 

The growth of the Commission has bro u g h t 

rewa rd s , and also ch a l l e n ges. Much of our 

growth immediat e ly after the Pe rth Genera l 

A s s e m bly can be traced to the ge n e rosity of the 

S u l t a n ate of Oman, and the endowment of the 

Sir Peter Scott Trust Fund. Th at Fund is winding 

down now, and the Commission is hav i n g 

to adjust its fundraising activities to respond to 

the needs of implementing the projects ari s i n g 

f rom the Action Plans, and the conservat i o n 

p ri o rities from an increasing number of intern 

ational legal instruments. Th at shift has 

not always been easy, and I know many of 

the vo l u n t e e rs in the netwo rk face continu i n g 

f ru s t rations over the scarcity of financial 

re s o u rc e s — e s p e c i a l ly when we know how 

mu ch can be accomplished with so little! 

O ver the same decade there have been 

t remendous ch a n ges in the IUCN Secre t a ri at as 

well. It has gone from a highly centra l i zed unit 

in Gland, S w i t ze rland funded pri m a ri ly 

t h rough donations from a few (mostly we s t e rn 

E u ropean) gove rnment aid agencies to a highly 

decentra l i zed global institution driven by 

p roject funding from a ve ry wide donor base 

(although seve re ly lacking in fl ex i ble core 

funding). As a result of these ch a n ge s ,S p e c i e s 

P rogramme staff have found themselves with 

less and less time ava i l able to dedicate to basic 

n e t wo rk support , at a time when the netwo rk 

has found itself being asked to respond more 

and more fre q u e n t ly to requests for info rm ation 

and part i c i p ation in conservation pro j e c t s . 

An inev i t able result of such stresses has been 

an outbreak of “ volunteer fatigue syndro m e,” 

to coin (or perhaps borrow) a phra s e. 

As Chair of the SSC, I have not been immune 

to that syndro m e. Nor have the members 

of the Exe c u t ive Committee. At the most re c e n t 

m e e t i n g, the Exe c u t ive Committee decided to 

u n d e rt a ke an inve s t i gation of the pro blem of 

volunteer fat i g u e, with a view to ge n e rat i n g 

some specific re c o m m e n d ations on how we 

can respond most effe c t ive ly. Mark Stanley - 

P rice will be presenting a rep o rt of 

the inve s t i gation at the Commission 

meeting at the Amman Congre 

s s , and I expect we will be abl e 

to respond with direct actions. 

One important way of 

avoiding the pro blem of too 

Species 1

m a ny, sometimes seemingly ra n d o m , re q u e s t s 

is to have a ve ry clear idea of the mission and 

o b j e c t ives of the Commission. Over the past 

t wo ye a rs , we have been seeking better fo c u s 

t h rough the development of the next iterat i o n 

of the SSC Strat egic Plan. Many of you have 

been fo l l owing that development through the 

regular rep o rts in S p e c i e s. The Plan is re a dy to 

be presented to the Commission at the Wo rl d 

C o n s e rvation Congress. At the same time, t h e 

IUCN Council will propose an IUCN Programme 

for the next tri e n n i u m ,with mu ch better 

linkages to the SSC Strat egic Plan. Ta ke n 

t oge t h e r, the documents should give us the 

steer to allow better and more pro d u c t ive integration 

of the wo rk of the SSC into the Programme 

of the Union. 

Another means of reducing fatigue is to 

m a x i m i ze the impact of the effo rt ex p e n d e d. 

The SSC re c og n i zes that mu ch of its info rm ation 

and many of its re c o m m e n d ations will be 

most effe c t ive when delive red in concert with 

other conservation orga n i z ations. To this end, 

we have begun a more deliberate process of 

seeking strat egic part n e rs h i p s — p a rt n e rs h i p s 

s u ch as those we alre a dy enjoy with Bird L i fe 

I n t e rn ational. We will look to expand our re l ationship 

with those with whom we share a cons 

e rvation mission—such as Conservat i o n 

I n t e rn ational and the Center for Marine 

C o n s e rvation—and with fo u n d ations that und 

e rstand the need to support a vital global cons 

e rvation progra m m e. 

As I wri t e, t h e re is no other nomination fo r 

Chair of the SSC for the next triennium. I am 

h o n o u red to have been nominated for a second 

t e rm by the Russian A c a d e my of Sciences, 

2 Species 

Va l e ry Nero n ov. I hope to justify that confid 

e n c e, and to engage a broader spectrum of 

i n d ividuals in more active roles in the gove rnance 

of the Commission to help me do so. 

The past four ye a rs have been a ve ry rewa 

rding ex p e rience for me pers o n a l ly. I have 

been enri ched by the association with so many 

d e d i c ated conservat i o n i s t s ,and humbled by the 

s u p p o rt they have provided for the Commission. 

In part i c u l a r, I thank Marcio Ay res for his 

assistance as the Deputy Chair of the Commiss 

i o n , and the members of the Exe c u t ive Comm 

i t t e e, and Steering Committee, who have 

d e d i c ated time and effo rt to the management of 

the Commission. Special mention must go to 

the Specialist Group Chairs , who are in the 

f ront lines of delive ring the special contri bution 

of the SSC to global conservat i o n . 

Fi n a l ly, little of wh at has happened in the 

past four ye a rs would have been possible without 

the excellent staff support of too many 

people to mention by name. I must make special 

mention, t h o u g h , of Simon Stuart and Sue 

Mainka in Gland, S t eve Edwa rds in Wa s h i n gt 

o n , and Ruth Baretto and Carolina Caceres in 

my office in Ottawa . 

D avid Bra cke t t

SSC Office Rep o rt 

The new millennium got off to a ro a ring start 

for SSC with seve ral of its projects and programmes 

gat h e ring rapid momentum in the 

run-up to the Wo rld Conservation Congress in 

Amman. As this issue of S p e c i e sis pri n t e d, we 

a re only days from the start of the Congre s s 

and the SSC open Commission-wide meeting 

wh e re our latest pro d u c t s , p a rt i c u l a rly the 

Species Info rm ation Service and the Red List 

2 0 0 0 , to wh i ch many of you have contri bu t e d 

so gre at ly, will be intro d u c e d. We are looking 

fo r wa rd to a wide va riety of pre s e n t ations fro m 

Specialist Groups as they update SSC memb 

e rs on their key activities and ach i eve m e n t s . 

The Sustainable Use Specialist Gro u p 

(SUSG) will hold its Steering Committee 

meeting befo re the Congress on Monday October 

2 and Tu e s d ay October 3. The Committee 

plans to join in part of the SSC Commissionwide 

Meeting, wh e re the SUSG Chair will upd 

ate SSC members on the Gro u p ’s activities in 

the past tri e n n i u m . 

S t rat egic Planning 2000–2010 

The SSC Strat egic Planning process is neari n g 

a conclusion. The Exe c u t ive Committee meeting 

at the White Oak Plantation in Florida in 

M a rch resulted in the identifi c ation of 18 targe t 

a c t ivities. Pri o rity was given to completing the 

Species Info rm ation System and improving the 

m a n agement capacity and perfo rmance of Specialist 

Groups. The draft Plan was made ava i lable 

for comment and input from SSC 

m e m b e rs during the summer. 

Red List Progra m m e 

Red List Cri t e ria Rev i ew 

A wo rkshop was held in Sweden in Ja nu a ry to 

t ry to re s o l ve some of the outstanding issues 

re l ating to Cri t e rion B and D. The responses to 

the proposed ch a n ges published in Species 

we re examined and further ch a n ges we re made 

to the Cri t e ria. A group met subsequently in 

London to produce the final draft wh i ch wa s 

submitted to IUCN Council for ap p roval in 

Feb ru a ry this ye a r, with a request that the SSC 

E xe c u t ive be granted powe rs of final adoption. 

The SSC Exe c u t ive ap p roved the final draft in 

M a rch , and the text has been sent for tra n s l ation 

(Fre n ch , S p a n i s h , C h i n e s e, A rab i c, a n d 

Russian) and publ i c at i o n . 

R egional and National Tra i n i n g 

A ve ry successful National Red List Tra i n i n g 

Wo rkshop was held in Vietnam in March and a 

wo rkshop was due to be held in Chengdu, 

China at the end of Ju ly and in Uru g u ay in August. 

Fundraising for a major Red List initiat 

ive in the Central Asian Rep u blics has also 

been successful and this pro j e c t , wh i ch is due 

to run for two ye a rs , will start later this ye a r. 

2000 Red List 

Due to va rious technical pro blems it was decided 

not to produce a 1999 Red List, but instead 

to focus on the production of the 2000 

Red List. Rep o rts summarising all the ava i l abl e 

d ata we re sent to nearly all animal Specialist 

G roups. These rep o rts highlighted pro bl e m s 

t h at had been identified while wo rking thro u g h 

the dat ab a s e. All the Specialist Groups have 

been asked to ch e ck and va l i d ate the info rm ation—some 

responded ve ry quick ly while othe 

rs indicated that due to a lack of re s o u rc e s 

t h ey we re not able to submit comments. Th e 

Red List team now consists of Caroline Po ll 

o ck , M at t h ew Linkie (the re c e n t ly ap p o i n t e d 

G e o rge Rabb Intern ) , and Craig Hilton-Tay l o r. 

P roduction of the Red List 2000 took place 

f rom June to September with the team inputing 

d ata re c e ived from Specialist Gro u p s , c ro s s - 

ch e cking info rm at i o n , and documenting as 

m a ny species as possible on population tre n d s , 

major hab i t ats and major thre ats. An analy s i s 

of the results will be produced as a sep a rat e 

booklet and the 2000 Red List will be launch e d 

in the lead up to, and during the Wo rld Conservation 

Congre s s . 

Species 3

B eyond 2000 

The Red List Programme Subcommittee has 

s t a rted to look at the development of the Red 

List over the next four ye a rs , in part i c u l a r, exp 

l o ring ways in wh i ch the Red List could be 

used as an indicator of ove rall trends in biodive 

rs i t y. An initial wo rkshop was held in 

S w i t ze rland in 1999 and fo rmed the basis for a 

mu ch large r, i n - d epth Indicat o rs Wo rkshop in 

N ew Yo rk in May this ye a r. This wo rkshop wa s 

funded part ly by the US National Science 

Fo u n d ation and the Swiss Development Corp 

o ration. The wo rkshop results are being used 

to help develop a strat egic plan for the Red 

L i s t ,p a rt i c u l a rly better cove rage of key gro u p s 

of organisms and key ecosystems. This indicat 

o rs development is being carried out in cl o s e 

c o l l ab o ration with the Species Info rm at i o n 

S e rvice (SIS) and the Center for Applied Biod 

ive rsity Science at Conservation Intern at i o n a l . 

Wi l d l i fe Trade Progra m m e 

The SSC’s ongoing commitment to CITES and 

input to the 11th Confe rence of the Pa rties in 

N a i robi in Ap ril was widely ap p re c i at e d. Pa rties 

welcomed the ch e cklist and guidance provided 

to Scientific Au t h o rities on making 

n o n - d e t riment findings and there was a huge 

demand for training re s o u rces. The “ n ew look” 

t abular fo rm at for presenting the SSC and 

TRAFFIC rev i ews of proposals to ch a n ge the 

listing of species in the CITES Appendices wa s 

also a success. A round 50% of the SSC memb 

e rs and other individuals asked to rev i ew the 

p roposals provided input and the deadline of 

14 Feb ru a ry for posting the A n a lyses of Proposals 

to Amend the CITES Ap p e n d i c e son the 

SSC website was met to gre at re l i e f. Prep a ration 

of the A n a lyses invo l ved a pro l o n ge d, i ntense 

effo rt and many late nights for the 

c o m p i l e rs ,who are grateful to all the rev i ewe rs 

who contri buted to the document. Initial fe e db 

a ck from the Pa rties indicates that the A n a lyses 

are ge n e ra l ly rega rded as objective, 

balanced and useful. The results of an independent 

eva l u ation of the A n a lyses pro j e c t 

should be ava i l able as this issue goes to pre s s . 

SSC fo rmed the major component of the 

IUCN delegation to COP 11. The meeting wa s 

hailed a success with a new spirit of cooperation 

emergi n g, p a rt i c u l a rly on the A f rican Elephant 

ivo ry issue. 

4 Species 

In Ju ly this year the Wi l d l i fe Trade Programme 

joined the A f rica Resources Trust and 

the Env i ronmental Law Programme in orga n i sing 

a consultat ive wo rkshop on the pre c a u t i o na 

ry pri n c i p l e. The wo rkshop aimed to prov i d e 

a dvice on the use of the pre c a u t i o n a ry pri n c iple 

in an env i ronmental contex t , as re q u i red by 

WCC Resolution 1.46. Pa rticipants ex a m i n e d 

the issues invo l ved and produced guidelines 

on best practice in env i ronmental use of the 

p ri n c i p l e. 

O n going wo rk for the Programme incl u d e s 

c o n t i nued development of a project on medicinal 

plant species, an ex a m i n ation of the role of 

c o m m e rcial cap t ive breeding in wildlife cons 

e rvat i o n , and the continu ation of seve ral fi e l d 

assessment pro j e c t s . 

Amphibian and Reptile 

C o n s e rvation New s 

Ku rt Buhlmann re c e n t ly joined the staff of 

C o n s e rvation Intern ational (CI), wh e re he will 

be wo rking as Coord i n ator for Amphibian and 

Chelonian (turtles and tortoises) Conservat i o n . 

Ku rt completed his Ph.D at the Unive rsity of 

G e o rgia in 1998, wh e re he inve s t i gated the use 

of critical upland hab i t ats and terre s t rial corrid 

o rs by turtles that inhabit seasonal we t l a n d s . 

Ku rt has also taken on the role of Program Officer 

for the SSC’s Fre s h water Tu rtle and 

To rtoise Specialist Group and the Global A mphibian 

Specialist Group. Ku rt is wo rking fro m 

an office provided by the Unive rsity of Georgi 

a ’s Savannah River Ecology Lab o rat o ry 

( S R E L ) , but will also spend one week each 

month at CI’s headquart e rs in Washington D.C. 

P ri o rity Specialist Group goals wh i ch Ku rt 

is invo l ved in include seeking part n e rs to help 

in the Red List cl a s s i fi c ation of the wo rl d ’s amphibians 

and updating the action plan for fre s hwater 

turtles and tortoises. 

P u bl i c at i o n s 

A major highlight on the publ i c ations front wa s 

completion of the long-awaited Pa rrots A c t i o n 

Plan wh i ch was published in May after five 

ye a rs of re s e a rch involving hundreds of scient 

i s t s , o rga n i s at i o n s ,and vo l u n t e e rs around the 

wo rl d. This was the 54th Action Plan to be 

p u blished by SSC.

Th e re are seve ral new titles to add to the 

rap i d ly expanding Action Plan and Occasional 

Pap e rs series. The end of 1999 saw the publ ic 

ation of A f rican Rhino: S t atus Survey and 

C o n s e rvation Action Plan, C o n i fe rs : S t at u s 

S u rvey and Conservation Action Plan, A f ri c a n 

Antelope Dat abase 1998 (Occasional Pap e r 

No. 21) and A f rican Elephant Dat abase 1998 

(Occasional Paper No. 22). 

B i o l ogy and Conservation Status of Fre s hwater 

Cetaceans in A s i a (Occasional Pap e r 

No. 23) was published in Ap ril together with 

C u ra s s ow s , Guans and Chach a l a c a s : S t at u s 

S u rvey and Conservation Action Plan fo r 

C racids 2000-2004. Then fo l l owed G ro u s e : 

S t atus Survey and Conservation Action Plan 

and West Indian Iguana: S t atus Survey and 

C o n s e rvation Action Plan. 

For the full list of Action Plans and links to 

exe c u t ive summaries re fer to http://www. i u c n . 

o rg / t h e m e s / s s c / p u b s / s s c aps.htm and for Occasional 

Pap e rs http://www. i u c n . o rg / t h e m e s / 

s s c / p u b s / o p ap e rs . h t m 

S e c re t a ri at New s 

We welcomed Gabi Allen back from mat e rn i t y 

l e ave in May. Gabi is the proud mother of son 

number two — Ja m e s , and the Secre t a ri at is 

b a ck to its full staff complement! Anna Knee 

took up the position of SSC Commu n i c at i o n s 

O fficer in March with one of her pri o rity tasks 

being a major rev i ew of the SSC web s i t e. New 

i n t e rn A m my Gillesberg joined the SSC team 

in Gland in June to wo rk on publ i c at i o n s . 

Plants Progra m m e 

A major event in the Plants Programme wa s 

the re c ruitment of a second Plants Offi c e r. 

Alain Mauric started wo rk in March in the 

C a m b ri d ge Offi c e, his position being funded 

by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, S c o t t i s h 

N at u ral Heri t age, and IUCN. His pri o rity act 

ivities are wo rking with the SSC Euro p e a n 

Plant Specialist Group and Planta Euro p a , a s 

well as furt h e ring the tree wo rk undert a ken by 

S a ra Oldfield and Charlotte Lusty during their 

“ C o n s e rvation and Sustainable Use of Tre e s ” 

p roject. A paper on the “Global Tree Initiat ive ” 

has been presented for discussion. 

Two of the largest taxonomic plant Specialist 

Groups (Orchids and Cacti and Succulents) 

n ow have Exe c u t ive Offi c e rs ,S h e l agh Kell and 

Wo l f gang Stuppy re s p e c t ive ly, leading to new 

a c t ivity in both groups. Both have deve l o p e d 

a c t ive listserves on the internet as a commu n ic 

ation tool. The Orchid Specialist Gro u p 

(OSG) has also produced two volumes of their 

n ew s l e t t e r, and the Cacti group is wo rking on 

rev iving its new s l e t t e r. The Orchid Group now 

has regional vice-ch a i rs in North A m e ri c a , 

Au s t ra l i a ,South A m e ri c a ,and the Indian subc 

o n t i n e n t ,and is wo rking on regionalising the 

group furt h e r. 

Other plant news in bri e f : 

• L I C O N S, an intern ational lichen confe re 

n c e, was organised and hosted by the Chair 

of the Lichen Specialist Gro u p , C h ri s t o p h 

S ch e i d egge r, in September 1999 in Zuri ch , 

S w i t ze rl a n d. 

• The Bryo p hyte Specialist Group has been 

busy completing its Action Plan wh i ch is 

due out this ye a r. 

• The European Plant Specialist Gro u p 

t h rough its Chair Klaus Ammann is wo rking 

with the Euro+Med project (rev i s i n g 

F l o ra Europaea). This project is being led 

by Stephen Ju ry and Ve rnon Hey wood of 

Reading Unive rsity and was re c e n t ly funded 

by the European Union. The Group will 

u n d e rt a ke the Red Listing component of the 

E u ro+Med dat ab a s e. 

• The Medicinal Plant Specialist Group cont 

i nues to pursue va rious medicinal plant 

p roject proposals and part i c i p ating in meeti 

n g s , and the next issue of their new s l e t t e r 

Medicinal Plant Conservat i o n was due out 

in June this ye a r. 

• To by Hodgkin of the Intern ational Plant 

Genetics Resources Institute has been successful 

in obtaining a UNEP grant for I n - 

s i t u C o n s e rvation of Crop Wild Relat ive s 

Th rough Enhanced Info rm ation Management 

& Field Ap p l i c at i o n . 

Species 5

Species Info rm ation Serv i c e 

At its meeting in March , the SSC Exe c u t ive 

Committee confi rmed that it considered the development 

of the Species Info rm ation Serv i c e 

(SIS) to be the top pri o rity of the SSC, with the 

t a rget that it be fully operational in the ye a r 

2 0 0 1 . 

D evelopment of the second trial softwa re 

ve rsion (Ve rsion 0.2) was completed in Ja nua 

ry this ye a r. Rev i ew and testing of Ve rsion 0.2 

was carried out by seve ral Specialist Gro u p s 

d u ring Feb ru a ry and March and a wo rkshop to 

agree final rev i s i o n s ,wh i ch will lead to the full 

wo rking release ve rsion (Ve rsion 1.0), wa s 

held in Rome, in March . 

S i g n i ficant progress has been made towa rd s 

the establishment of a SIS Central Service Unit 

(CSU). Luigi Boitani, C o - chair of the SIS Dat a 

M a n agement Wo rking Group has nego t i at e d 

an agreement with the Director General of Nat 

u re Conservation Service (SCN) at the Minist 

e ro dell’Ambiente (Env i ronment) of Italy to 

s u p p o rt the implementation and running of the 

CSU in Rome. The agreement will allow SIS 

to set up the CSU in a suite of offices inside the 

M i n i s t ry of Env i ronment and provide add i t i o nal 

financial support for SIS activities such as 

s t a ffing and progra m m i n g. This agreement is 

for one year but it is hoped that the contract can 

be re n ewed to give SIS operations the consist 

e n cy that it re q u i re s . 

D evelopment of the SIS softwa re will cont 

i nue based on the results of the discussion of 

the meeting held in Rome with the goal of 

completing a stand-alone ve rsion of the SIS 

s o f t wa re by the end of this ye a r. At the Wo rl d 

C o n s e rvation Congress it is planned to pre s e n t 

6 Species 

the ove rall pers p e c t ive of the SIS initiat ive and 

the role it will play in SSC’s future for dat a 

m a n agement and delive ry of conservat i o n 

a n a lyses and products; and demonstrate the essential 

functions of the SIS softwa re. 

E s t ablishment of the CSU and discussions 

with leading computing fi rms has put SIS on 

t ra ck for its second phase—making it Web - 

based so that it can fulfill the commu n i c at i o n s 

function within and among Specialist Gro u p s , 

and within the conservation commu n i t y. 

N ew on the SSC Web s i t e 

The IUCN Guidelines for the Placement of 

C o n fi s c ated A n i m a l s , and Guidelines for the 

P revention of Biodive rsity Loss due to Alien Inva 

s ive Species, both ap p roved by the IUCN 

Council in Feb ru a ry, a re ava i l able on the website 

at http://www. i u c n . o rg / t h e m e s / s s c / n ew s / 

i nva s ives.htm and http://www. i u c n . o rg / t h e m e s / 

s s c / n ew s / i n t ro c o n fi s c ation.htm re s p e c t ive ly. 

S p e c i e s Issues 31-32 and 33 are ava i l able in 

pdf fo rm at at http://www. i u c n . o rg / t h e m e s 

/ssc/species/spec-int.htm and more detailed upd 

ates on the Species Info rm ation Service can 

be found at http://indab a . i u c n . o rg / ex t e rn a l / 

t h e m e s / s s c / p rogra m s / s i s i n d ex . h t m 

Compiled by Ku rt Buhlmann, M a ri a n o 

Gimenez Dixon, M a n dy Hay wo o d, C ra i g 

H i l t o n - Tay l o r, Anna Knee, Sue Mainka, 

and We n dy Stra h a m


Triennial Rep o rt 1997-1999 

This rep o rt was sent to all IUCN members at 

the beginning of this year and is included in the 

Wo rld Conservation Congress documentat i o n . 

A c t ivities and A ch i eve m e n t s 

S t rat egic Planning 

A major focus of the Commission during this 

t riennium has been the development of its 

S t rat egic Plan 2000 to provide vision and guidance 

for the programme into the 21st century. 

The Plan has been built on the insights ga i n e d 

t h rough wide consultation with IUCN memb 

e rs , SSC members , and many of the part n e r 

o rga n i s ations with wh i ch SSC collab o rat e s . 

This consultation process was designed to ens 

u re that the new strat egic plan serves the int 

e rests of the IUCN constituency as a wh o l e, 

whilst continuing to draw on the specialist 

ex p e rtise of the SSC in offe ring know l e d ge, 

p o l i cy guidance, and re c o m m e n d ations to the 

wider conservation commu n i t y. The new 

vision and goal for SSC arising from the 

S t rat egic Planning process are included at the 

end of this rep o rt . 

Plant Conservation Progra m m e 

In tandem with the Strat egic Planning pro c e s s , 

leading botanists have wo rked hard on pro d u cing 

a Plant Conservation Programme 2000- 

2 0 0 5 , with a launch and special symposium 

held at the Intern ational Botanical Confe re n c e 

in August 1999, in St Louis, USA. Clear pri o rities 

emerged on improving the Red Listing 

p rocess for plants, and increased conservat i o n 

action in the Centres of Plant Dive rs i t y. Other 

aspects of SSC wo rk on plants are cove re d 

e l s ewh e re in this rep o rt . 

G at h e ri n g, Synthesis and Dissemination 

of Species Data and Info rm at i o n 

To provide better access to the enorm o u s 

amount of species dat a , i n fo rm at i o n , and exp 

e rtise held in the 6000-strong netwo rk , S S C 

p ri o ritised development of the Species Info r- 

m ation Service (SIS) early in the tri e n n i u m . 

Since then, major advances in SIS deve l o pment 

include completion of the SIS c o n c ep t ual 

design, wh i ch supports provision of curre n t , 

q u a l i t y, s p at i a l ly explicit biodive rsity info rm ation. 

SIS allows access to the most re c e n t , 

quality data through a dat abase that evo l ve s 

with the ch a n ges inherent to nat u ral systems. 

The design comprises three elements: s o f twa 

re, a data custodian model, and a c e n t ra l 

s e rvice unit. 

The s o f t wa re will allow SSC Specialist 

G roups and others to organise their data in a 

s t a n d a rdised fo rm , and accommodate the dive 

rse data management needs re q u i red wh e n 

wo rking with groups of species living at a variety 

of ecological scales. Design and eva l u ation 

of the fi rst ve rsion (0.1) softwa re wa s 

completed in November 1998, and benefi t e d 

f rom testing and inputs of SSC Specialist 

G roups. In 1999, the second ve rsion trial softwa 

re (0.2) was distri buted to a taxonomically 

rep re s e n t at ive selection of Specialist Gro u p s 

and partner orga n i s ations for in-depth testing. 

E va l u ation of this testing process and final revisions 

to the softwa re will be completed in 

2 0 0 0 . 

D ata will be managed through a d ata custodian 

model, aiming to manage data as cl o s e 

to the source as possibl e, t h e reby cap t u ring the 

most current info rm ation ava i l abl e. SSC Specialist 

Groups we re encouraged to comment on 

system design as it deve l o p e d. A c t ive re c ru i tment 

of a rep re s e n t at ive selection of Specialist 

G roups in the second phase ensures that the 

system meets the needs of a netwo rk dealing 

with such a high dive rsity of life fo rms. Specialist 

Groups will ultimat e ly benefit from a rec 

i p rocal fl ow of enhanced info rm ation to 

f u rther their own objective s , m o t ivating them 

to continue contri buting to the dat ab a s e. 

The c e n t ral service unit will support Specialist 

Groups as system users , u n d e rt a ke spa- 

Species 7

tial and temporal analyses using GIS and other 

a n a lytical tech n i q u e s ,and coord i n ate with Biod 

ive rsity Conservation Info rm ation Serv i c e 

(BCIS) members and others to produce collabo 

rat ive info rm ation products. SSC part n e rs ,i ncluding 

Bird L i fe Intern at i o n a l , We t l a n d s 

I n t e rn at i o n a l , and TRAFFIC Intern at i o n a l , 

h ave part i c i p ated in design and testing of SIS 

components throughout the triennium. Th e s e 

links to part n e rs are important to support the 

s o p h i s t i c ated biodive rsity analyses incre a s i n gly 

demanded by gove rnments and conservat i o n 

o rga n i s at i o n s . 

SSC has also continued to active ly support 

d evelopment of the B i o d ive rsity Conservation 

Info rm ation System (BCIS), wh i ch now 

c o m p rises 12 members :B i rd L i fe Intern at i o n a l ; 

Botanic Gardens Conservation Intern at i o n a l ; 

C o n s e rvation Intern ational; Intern at i o n a l 

Species Info rm ation System; IUCN Commission 

on Ecosystem Management; IUCN Env ironmental 

Law Progra m m e, IUCN Species 

S u rv ival Commission; IUCN Wo rld Commission 

on Protected A reas; The Nat u re Conserva 

n cy; TRAFFIC; Wetlands Intern ational; and 

the Wo rld Conservation Monitoring Centre 

(see www. b i o d ive rs i t y. o rg for further info rm ation). 

BCIS members have benefited from info 

rm ation management principles deve l o p e d 

by the group as a whole and from increased opp 

o rtunities to collab o rate on development of 

b i o d ive rsity info rm ation products. 

Based on data provided by the netwo rk ,t h e 

Red List Progra m m e f u l fills a unique serv i c e 

by providing a global ove rv i ew of the conservation 

status of species—both plants and 

animals. As directed by the last Wo rld Conservation 

Congre s s , SSC has rev i ewed the curre n t 

Red List Cri t e ria and some detailed rev i s i o n s 

a re due to be adopted in 2000. This has been an 

ex t e n s ive consultation process involving both 

IUCN and SSC members and leading conservation 

biologists. Major ach i evements have included 

putting the 1999 Red List onto the 

Wo rld Wide Web (in a mu ch more useful and 

a c c e s s i ble fo rm at ) , and developing the 2000 

Red List, wh i ch will include many new species 

not prev i o u s ly assessed with the new cri t e ri a , 

t ogether with full documentation on the listing 

p rocess. The programme is also fi n a l i s i n g 

guidelines for use of the Red List Cat ego ries at 

the national and regional leve l s ,and a draft wa s 

8 Species 

c i rc u l ated to all IUCN members for comment 

in 1999. Major ach i evements during the tri e nnium 

we re the publ i c ation of the 1997 IUCN 

Red List of Th re atened Plants, the fi rst eve r 

global Red List for plants, wh i ch was the re s u l t 

of a nine-partner collab o ration. Publ i s h e d 

s h o rt ly afterwa rds was the Wo rld List of 

Th re atened Tre e s , a joint project with the 

Wo rld Conservation Monitoring Centre. Both 

p u bl i c ations re c e ived widespread media at t e ntion. 

Wo rk is curre n t ly underway to re a s s e s s 

m a ny of the 34,000 thre atened plant taxa with 

the new IUCN Red List Cat ego ri e s , to ensure 

b road rep re s e n t ation in the fo rthcoming R e d 

List of Th re atened Species. In add i t i o n , t h e 

SSC held seve ral regional and national Red 

List training wo rk s h o p s ,i n cluding in Au s t ra l i a , 

C a n a d a , C o l o m b i a , South A f ri c a , S p a i n , S ri 

L a n k a , and the UK. 

SSC data and info rm ation is also dissemin 

ated through the SSC Publ i c ations Progra 

m m e. 15 Action Plans we re publ i s h e d, 

c ove ring Asian Rhinos, Wild Sheep and Goat s 

and their re l at ive s , the Ethiopian Wo l f, C a c t u s 

and Succulent Plants, D rago n fl i e s , the A f ri c a n 

Wild Dog, Tap i rs ,G reb e s ,C ro c o d i l e s ,H ya e n a , 

N o rth A m e rican Rodents, D e e r, B e a rs , 

C o n i fe rs ,and A f rican Rhino; with four more in 

p ress at the end of 1999, on Pa rro t s , B ryop 

hy t e s , C ra c i d s ,and West Indian Iguanas. Six 

Occasional Pap e rs , c ove ring Sturgeons and 

C av i a r, s u s t a i n able use of Pe c c a ri e s , Po l a r 

B e a rs , S h a rks and their re l at ive s , the A f ri c a n 

Antelope Dat ab a s e, and the A f rican Elep h a n t 

D at abase we re publ i s h e d. In add i t i o n ,the SSC 

Wi l d l i fe Trade Programme published Trade in 

Wild Caught Animal Specimens: A Rev i ew of 

Selected Animal Species, D raft rep o rt to the 

CITES Animals Committee and an updated edition 

of CITES A Conservation To o l :A Guide to 

Amending the Appendices to the Convention on 

I n t e rn ational Trade in Endange red Species of 

Wild Fauna and Flora (also ava i l able on the 

web). In addition many of the SSC Specialist 

G roups publish regular new s l e t t e rs , 68 of 

wh i ch are ava i l able on a subscription basis, a n d 

s eve ral Specialist Groups produce a va riety of 

rep o rts for specialist audiences. 

With a view to making the wealth of info rm 

ation published by IUCN over the last 50 

ye a rs accessible to audiences all over the 

wo rl d, SSC was a prime mover in the cre at i o n

of the Wo rld Conservation Digital Libra ry, 

wh i ch is being jointly developed by SSC, t h e 

P u bl i c ations Services Unit and the Info rm at i o n 

M a n agement Group. This libra ry will make all 

IUCN publ i c ations search able through the 

Wo rld Wide Web, or on CD-Roms for info rm 

ation re l ated to, for ex a m p l e, s p e c i fic topics 

or ge ographical areas. In late 1999, 88 SSC 

p u bl i c ations we re being conve rted into PDF to 

m a ke up the fi rst test-component of this libra ry. 

The SSC Web s i t e l i n ked to IUCN’s site: 

w w w. i u c n . o rg / t h e m e s / s s c, p ri m a ri ly designed 

for SSC members , also serves far wider audiences. 

This ex t e n s ive site offe rs mu ch info rm ation 

about the SSC netwo rk , its members h i p , 

a c t ivities and outputs, and is also linked to 

m o re than 20 Specialist Gro u p s , s eve ral of 

wh i ch have posted complete Action Plans, o r 

the Exe c u t ive Summaries of SSC publ i c at i o n s . 

Po l i cy Guidance 

The policies to wh i ch SSC contri butes concern 

the maintenance of re n ewabl e, n at u ral res 

o u rc e s ,an essential fo u n d ation for sustainabl e 

d evelopment. SSC is ve ry active in deve l o p i n g 

and publishing policy guidelines, and supporting 

intern ational conventions whose policies 

a ffect conservat i o n . 

D eveloped by the Re-introduction Specialist 

Gro u p , the IUCN Guidelines for Re-introd 

u c t i o n s , (adopted by IUCN in 1995) outline 

ap p ro p ri ate pro c e d u res for re - i n t ro d u c i n g 

species into their fo rmer ra n ges. Fifteen thousand 

copies we re distri buted to target audie 

n c e s , i n cluding all IUCN members , I U C N 

R egional and Country Offi c e s ,R e - i n t ro d u c t i o n 

Specialist Group members as well as all re c i pients 

of their new s l e t t e r, m e m b e rs of the A m e rican 

A s s o c i ation of Zoos and A q u a ri u m s , t h e 

Wo rld Zoo Orga n i s at i o n , SSC Steering Committee 

and Specialist Group Chairs. Extensive 

o u t re a ch was possible via the SSC Steeri n g 

Committee focal points for China, R u s s i a ,a n d 

the Middle East. The booklets are ava i l able in 

bi-lingual ve rsions of: Fre n ch / E n g l i s h , S p a ni 

s h / E n g l i s h ,A rab i c / E n g l i s h , C h i n e s e / E n g l i s h , 

and Russian/English, as well as an Englisho 

n ly ve rsion. The SSC Re-introductions Specialist 

Group also took the lead in drafting the 

IUCN Guidelines for the Placement of Confi sc 

ated A n i m a l s wh i ch we re circ u l ated for re- 

v i ew to all IUCN members , and we re adopted 

in Feb ru a ry 2000. 

S S C , m a i n ly through its Inva s ive Species 

Specialist Gro u p , is coord i n ating IUCN’s input 

to the Global Inva s ive Species Progra m m e 

( G I S P ) , a collab o rat ive programme invo l v i n g 

I U C N, SCOPE and CABI. Th e IUCN Guidelines 

for the Prevention of Biodive rsity Loss 

Caused by Alien Inva s ive Species h ave been fin 

a l i s e d, and fo rmed the basis for major policy 

wo rk at the fo u rth meeting of the Subsidiary 

B o dy on Scientifi c, Te chnical and Te ch n o l ogical 

A dvice (SBSTTA) of the Convention on 

B i o d ive rsity (CBD) in June 1999 in Montre a l . 

I U C N ’s contri butions we re well re c e ived by 

CBD delegates who adopted SSC re c o m m e nd 

at i o n s ,made an explicit call for collab o rat i o n 

with IUCN on key areas of the Union’s progra 

m m e, and adopted a re c o m m e n d ation on 

d eveloping guiding principles for alien species 

and on further developing the GISP. The GISP 

P rogra m m e, i n cluding SSC, and the Env i ro nmental 

Law Centre secured a major grant fro m 

the Global Env i ronment Facility for a Global 

I nva s ive Species Strat egy (with SSC re s p o n s ible 

for the development of Early Wa rning and 

R apid Response Systems). 

S u s t a i n able Use of Wild Species 

The SSC Wi l d l i fe Trade Programme prov i d e s 

s u p p o rt to CITES, and wo rks with the A f ri c a n 

E l ephant ra n ge states rega rding trade in ivo ry. 

It is also beginning to fo rge links with the United 

Nations Food and A gri c u l t u re Orga n i s at i o n 

in re l ating to the use of wild plants. 

IUCN Regional and Country Offices and 

Specialist Gro u p s , i n cluding Sustainable Use 

Specialist Gro u p s ,we re asked for input to help 

the Animals Committee identify species wh i ch 

re q u i red further rev i ew under the CITES Sign 

i ficant Trade Pro j e c t . As a re s u l t , the A n imals 

Committee selected 37 species fo r 

detailed study and contracted the Wo rld Cons 

e rvation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), in coll 

ab o ration with the IUCN/SSC Wi l d l i fe Tra d e 

P rogramme and the TRAFFIC Netwo rk ,to und 

e rt a ke the necessary rev i ew. IUCN/SSC circ 

u l ated trade data and questionnaires to 170 

rev i ewe rs and made ava i l able re l evant info rm 

ation from SSC fi l e s , e a rlier rev i ews and ap- 

Species 9

p ro p ri ate editions of the A n a lyses of CITES 

Amendment Pro p o s a l s . 

The SSC continues to contri bute to the development 

of a M o n i t o ring System for the Ill 

egal Killing of Elephants (MIKE), a s 

m a n d ated by the CITES Pa rties at COP 10 in 

H a ra re. At the Standing Committee meeting in 

Feb ru a ry 1999, IUCN/SSC was asked to cont 

i nue providing technical assistance as the Pa rties 

move fo r wa rd with development and 

i m p l e m e n t ation of MIKE. Curre n t ly, with supp 

o rt from the CITES Trust Fund, IUCN is coo 

rd i n ating implementation of pilot projects in 

C e n t ral A f rica and Southeast A s i a . 

M a i n ly through its Medicinal Plants Specialist 

Group (MPSG), SSC has progressed its 

wo rk on the c o n s e rvation and sustainabl e 

use of medicinal plants. Closely collab o rat i n g 

with Canada’s Intern ational Development Res 

e a rch Centre (IDRC), the MPSG has wo rke d 

with GEF and UNEP on advising on sustainable 

use/community benefits of medicinal 

plants pro j e c t s ,is collab o rating with the Wo rl d 

Health Orga n i s ation (WHO) Traditional Medicine 

Progra m m e, and part i c i p ated in the Cons 

e rvation and Sustainable Use of Wild Plants 

of Importance for Food and A gri c u l t u re, FAO, 

Rome 5-7 May 1999. SSC also sponsored and 

p a rt i c i p ated in “Medicinal Plants for Surv iva l ,” 

an intern ational confe rence on medicinal 

plants in Feb ru a ry 1998 in Banga l o re, I n d i a . 

S eve ral field projects have been used in 

eva l u ating the ecological impact of uses of 

wild species and promoting improved wildl 

i fe management. Assessments of ch a m e l e o n 

density for a number of species from a va ri e t y 

of areas will allow development of a model that 

should fa c i l i t ate predictions of population density 

for groups of species with similar life hist 

o ry pat t e rns. The final October 1999 rep o rt 

i n cluded a rev i ew of trade dynamics in Madagascar 

and re c o m m e n d ations for the management 

of chameleons in Madaga s c a r. A n 

assessment of reptile species in Togo began in 

Ap ril 1999. In the early phase of the pro j e c t , 

the Principal Inve s t i gator wo rked cl o s e ly with 

reptile fa rms and the D i rection de la faune et 

de la ch a s s e s t a ff in Lome collecting baseline 

i n fo rm ation and assessing the CITES pro c ed 

u res in place. Further projects cove red an assessment 

of Status and Sustainability of Tra d e 

10 Species 

in the Common Rat Snake, P t yas mu c o u s i n 

Java , Indonesia; and Status Assessment of 

Th ree Pa rrot Species, A gap o rnis lillianae, Po ic 

ephalus cry p t ox a n t h u sand Po i c ephalus meye 

ri , and an assessment of the success of 

ra n ches for the re a ring of these species to supp 

ly the intern ational tra d e. 

The IUCN Sustainable Use Initiat ive 

( S U I ) fo rmed five new regional Sustainabl e 

Use Specialist Groups (SUSGs) and thro u g h 

NORAD (Norwegian aid age n cy ) , grants of 

US $40,000 we re made ava i l able to ten regi o nal 

specialist groups in developing countri e s . 

The Southern A f rican SUSG hosted a wo rkshop 

at the Global Dive rsity Fo rum (Hara re) in 

1 9 9 7 , and wo rkshops on Te nu re and Sustainable 

Use we re organised at the Global Dive rs ity 

Fo rum preceding the 4th CoP of the CBD 

( B rat i s l ava,) and the Centre for Deve l o p m e n t 

and the Env i ronment (SUM) at the Unive rs i t y 

of Oslo in 1998. Volume 2, SUI Te chnical 

S e ri e s , on Te nu re and Sustainable Use, wa s 

p u blished in 1999. Another wo rkshop on Inc 

e n t ives for Sustainability was organised fo r 

the IUCN 50th A n n ive rs a ry Programme at 

Fo n t a i n ebl e a u , Fra n c e, and in 1999 a wo rkshop 

on A d ap t ive Management was orga n i s e d 

for the Global Dive rsity Fo rum preceding the 

4th SBSTTA in Montre a l , Canada. An info rm 

ation paper on Principles of Sustainable Use 

within the Ecosystem Ap p ro a ch was submitted 

to CBD SBSTTA 5. A Fo rd Fo u n d ation gra n t 

awa rded in 1998 enabled a Po l i cy Fe l l ow s h i p 

p rogramme to be start e d. Fi n a l ly, in 1999 a revised 

A n a lytical Fra m ewo rk to assess fa c t o rs 

i n fluencing sustainability of manage m e n t 

regimes was adopted. 

C o n s e rvation Bre e d i n g 

The Conservation Breeding Specialist Gro u p 

(CBSG) continued to conduct Po p u l ation and 

H ab i t at Vi ability Assessments (PHVAs) and 

C o n s e rvation Assessment and Manage m e n t 

Plans (CAMPs). Wo rkshops focused on a 

number of high pro file species, i n cluding the 

Ethiopian wo l f, red wo l f, E a s t e rn slopes gri zz 

ly bear, F l o rida panther, d e s e rt bighorn sheep , 

golden monkey, A f rican penguin, selected medicinal 

plants in Costa Rica and selected 

Cuban endemics.

Planning meetings we re conducted for seve 

ral upcoming wo rkshops including PHVA s 

for New England wo l ves and the wo l ves of A lgonquin 

Pa rk , and a CAMP for A rabian carn ivo 

res in the United A rab Emirates. New tools 

i n clude a user- f ri e n d ly program for use in 

CAMP wo rk s h o p s ,wh i ch is linked to a master 

d at abase for all CAMP data. Data in this program 

are merged with the Regional A n i m a l 

Species Collection System (REGASP) program 

and will be reg u l a rly distri buted to Intern 

ational Species Info rm ation Service (ISIS) 

member zoos and other interested parities on 

re q u e s t . 

A new, u s e r- f ri e n d ly manual for the VO R- 

TEX progra m , used in PHVA s , is also being 

d i s t ri buted with an updated ve rsion of the program. 

A broader focus on helping with strat egic 

planning processes for a number of 

o rga n i z ations has led to planning wo rk s h o p s 

for the Biodive rsity Conservation Info rm at i o n 

System (BCIS), S S C , IUCN and the Au st 

ralasian Regional A s s o c i ation of Zoologi c a l 

Pa rks and A q u a riums (ARAZPA). A dd i t i o n a lly, 

CBSG has helped six zoos with deve l o pment 

of fo rmal conservation plans wh i ch help 

d evelop an institutional “ c o n s e rvation culture ” , 

i n cluding making fo rmal commitments to in 

situ conservation programs and funding. Conc 

e n t rated wo rk with giant pandas and other endemic 

Chinese species has continued with the 

second year of an interd i s c i p l i n a ry biomedical 

s u rvey of cap t ive giant pandas. Training courses 

we re presented on carn ivo re nu t rition and 

ve t e ri n a ry medicine, and a Conservation A ssessment 

and Research Te chniques wo rk s h o p , 

focusing on both the wild and cap t ive populat 

i o n , was conducted at the inv i t ation of the 

S t ate Fo re s t ry A d m i n i s t ration with part i c i p ation 

by rep re s e n t at ives of the Ministry of Cons 

t ru c t i o n . 

A ck n ow l e d ge m e n t s 

SSC grat e f u l ly ack n ow l e d ges support re c e ive d 

d u ring the triennium until December 1999, 

f ro m :B ritish A i r ways; Canadian CIDA; Canadian 

Wi l d l i fe Serv i c e, E nv i ronment Canada; 

Center for Marine Conservat i o n , U. S.; Chicago 

Zoological Society; Charles H. Darwin Init 

i at ive, U.K.; CITES Trust Fund; Conservat i o n 

I n t e rn at i o n a l ’s Center for Applied Biodive rs i t y 

Science (CABS); Council of A gri c u l t u re 

( C OA ) , Ta i wan; David and Lucile Pa ck a rd 

Fo u n d at i o n ,U. S.; Dep a rtment of the Env i ro nm 

e n t , Tra n s p o rt and the Regions (DETR), 

U.K.; Env i ronment Au s t ralia; Env i ro n m e n t a l 

Systems Research Institute, I n c. (ESRI), U. S. ; 

E u ropean Commission (DGVIII and DGXI); 

Fe d e ral A ge n cy for Nat u re Conservat i o n 

( B F N ) , G e rm a ny; Finnish Ministry of the Env 

i ronment; Fo rd Fo u n d ation; Global Guard i a n 

Tru s t , Japan; John D. and Cat h e rine T. Mac- 

A rthur Fo u n d at i o n ,U. S.; Margot Marsh Biodive 

rsity Fo u n d at i o n , U. S.; MAVA Fo u n d at i o n , 

S w i t ze rland; Ministry of A gri c u l t u re, N at u re 

M a n agement and Fi s h e ri e s ,N e t h e rlands; Mini 

s t ry of Fo reign A ffa i rs , Japan; National Fi s h 

and Wi l d l i fe Fo u n d ation (NFWFUS); Nat i o n a l 

R e s e a rch Council for Scientific and Te ch n ol 

ogical Development of Brazil (CNPq); 

NORAD; Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, U K ; 

Scottish Nat u ral Heri t age, UK; Sociadade 

C ivil Mamira u á , B razil; Norc ross Wi l d l i fe 

Fo u n d at i o n ,U. S.; Swiss Fe d e ral Ve t e ri n a ry Offi 

c e, Swiss Development Corp o ration; U. S. 

Fish and Wi l d l i fe Serv i c e, U. S. State Dep a rtment; 

Va l e rie Gat e s , U. S.; Wi l d l i fe Conservation 

Society (WCS); Wo rld Wide Fund fo r 

N at u re — I n t e rn ational (WWF-I); W W F - 

N e t h e rlands; WWF-UK. For reasons of space, 

this list does not include many important donations 

to individual Specialist Gro u p s . 

Fi n a l ly, IUCN pays tri bute to the thousands 

of volunteer members of the SSC. It is their 

d e d i c ation and fre e ly - c o n t ri buted data and 

k n ow l e d ge that promotes action to reduce the 

loss of dive rsity within species, b e t we e n 

species and of ecosystems. 

D avid Bra cke t t , C h a i r 


Species 11

12 Species 


M a n d at e 

SSC serves as the principal source of advice to the Union and its members on the 

t e chnical aspects of species conservation. It seeks to mobilise action by the wo rl d 

c o n s e rvation community for species conservat i o n , in particular for those species 

t h re atened with extinction and those of importance for human we l fa re. 

Vi s i o n 

A wo rld that values and conserves present levels of biodive rs i t y, within species, 

b e t ween species and of ecosystems. 

Goal 

The extinction crisis and massive loss in biodive rsity are unive rs a l ly adopted as a 

s h a red re s p o n s i b i l i t y, resulting in action to reduce this loss of dive rsity within 

s p e c i e s ,b e t ween species and of ecosystems. 

O b j e c t ive s 

1 . To influence decisions and policies affecting biodive rsity by providing 

re c o m m e n d ations and guidelines based on sound inter- d i s c i p l i n a ry scientific 

i n fo rm at i o n . 

2 . To encourage users of nat u ral re s o u rces to adopt modes of production and 

consumption that promote the conservation of biodive rs i t y. 

3 . To promote among the scientific community a gre ater commitment to the conservat 

i o n , s u s t a i n able use and management of biodive rsity and increased integrat i o n 

of findings across disciplines. 

4 . To increase the capacity to provide timely, i n n ovat ive and practical solutions to 

c o n s e rvation pro bl e m s . 

P rogramme Pri o ri t i e s 

• Species Info rm ation Service development and implementat i o n 

• D evelopment of indicat o rs of the state of biodive rsity through the Red 

List Progra m m e 

• I m p l e m e n t ation of the Sustainable Use Initiat ive 

• I m p l e m e n t ation of the Wi l d l i fe Trade Progra m m e

• I m p l e m e n t ation of the Plant Conservation Progra m m e 

• I m p l e m e n t ation of the Inva s ive Species Progra m m e 

S t ru c t u re and Members h i p 

The Commission has over 6000 members , o rganised as fo l l ow s : 

• Chair and Steeri n g / E xe c u t ive Committee. The Commission administration is carri e d 

out by the Chair with a Steeri n g / E xe c u t ive Committee, wh i ch has 15 members , p rov i ding 

ge ographical and interd i s c i p l i n a ry balance, e a ch re s p o n s i ble for providing dire c t i o n 

to a portion of the extended netwo rk of Specialist Groups and Task Fo rces. The Committee 

assists the Chair in fo rmu l ating policy and setting operational dire c t i o n s . 

• F u rther standing or tempora ry Sub-Committees a re fo rmed under the direction of the 

S t e e ri n g / E xe c u t ive Committee to advise on issues of special concern. 

• Specialist Groups and Task Fo rce Members . SSC maintains a netwo rk of over 100 

Specialist Gro u p s , wh i ch include scientists, c o n s e rvation pro fessionals and dedicat e d 

l ay conservationists. Task Fo rces are tempora ry groups fo rmed to add ress key emergi n g 

issues. These Groups and Task Fo rces are organised to provide broad cove rage of taxonomic 

groups of animals and plants, as well as important inter- d i s c i p l i n a ry conservation 

methodologi e s . 

• Roll of Honour. Those who have made major contri butions to species conservation in 

ge n e ral and to SSC in part i c u l a r. 

• A dv i s o ry Members . Those individuals whose focus and area of ex p e rtise is not contained 

within the brief of any one Specialist gro u p , in re c ognition of their contri bu t i o n 

and support to the wo rk of the Commission. 

• H o n o ra ry Members . Those who have served the Commission in the past but are no 

l o n ger active in its day - t o - d ay operations. 

Species 13

N ew s 

Ke eping the Wo rl d ’s Seab i rds Off 

the Hook: The Save the A l b at ro s s 

Campaign of Bird L i fe Intern at i o n a l 

A wa n d e ring albat ross flies across the Southe 

rn Ocean, far from land. It lands behind a 

p i rate fishing ve s s e l , s e i zes a baited hook, a n d 

is dragged under by the weight of the longline 

and drowns. Fa rther south, an Adélie penguin 

rises from its egg s , a l l owing them to cool dange 

ro u s ly in the sub-ze ro temperat u re, as it 

wat ches with raised heart beat the ap p ro a ch of 

a re d - clad tourist. Far away, on an island off 

Scotland an introduced mink kills a bre e d i n g 

common tern , making it a dozen it has slaught 

e red that night. On another island somewh e re 

in the tropical Pa c i fic Ocean, a rtisanal fi s h e rs 

land from canoes with outboard engines and 

collect hundreds of seab i rd eggs to take home 

with their fish. An aging tanker with term i n a l 

metal fatigue runs aground on a stormy coast 

in the North Sea, spilling its cargo of crude oil 

t h at will result in the cl oying death of thousands 

of sea duck s , auks and corm o rants in the 

n ext few we e k s . 

The ab ove, and other, t h re ats facing the wo rl d ’s 

s e ab i rds led Bird L i fe Intern ational to inaugurate 

its Seab i rd Conservation Programme in 

1997. The main impetus was the large nu m b e rs 

of seab i rds being killed by longline fi s h e ri e s , 

as identified by IUCN in a resolution adopted 

at its fi rst Wo rld Conservation Congress in 

M o n t re a l , Canada in 1996. Bird L i fe Intern a- 

14 Species 

tional is an orga n i z ation made of national partn 

e rs. Its Seab i rd Conservation Programme is 

based in South A f rica wh e re it is managed by 

B i rd L i fe South A f rica and hosted by the Av i a n 

D e m ograp hy Unit at the Unive rsity of Cap e 

Town. For the fi rst three ye a rs of its ex i s t e n c e, 

the programme has been funded by the Roya l 

Society for the Protection of Bird s , the UK 

B i rd L i fe part n e r. Longlining has been and at 

the time of writing remains the major project of 

the progra m m e. A concerted effo rt , the “ S ave 

the A l b at ross Campaign: Ke eping the Wo rl d ’s 

S e ab i rds of the Hook” is due to commence this 

ye a r, with major funding promised from the 

p roceeds of the British Birdwat ching Fa i r, t o 

be held at Rutland Wat e r, United Kingdom in 

August 2000. 

The Save the A l b at ross Campaign is seeking 

to fa c i l i t ate national actions to reduce longline 

mortality of seab i rds by wo rking thro u g h 

the Bird L i fe part n e rs and rep re s e n t at ives in selected 

countries. Four major objectives for the 

campaign have been identifi e d. Fi rs t ly, i m p l em 

e n t ation of National Plans of Action for 

Reducing Incidental Cat ch of Seab i rds in 

Longline Fi s h e ries fo l l owing technical guidelines 

adopted by the Committee on Fi s h e ries of 

the Food and A gri c u l t u re Orga n i z ation of the

United Nations in 1999. Secondly, d eve l o pment 

and adoption of an intergove rn m e n t a l 

A greement for Southern Hemisphere A l b at 

rosses and Pe t re l s , as supported by the 6th 

C o n fe rence of the Pa rties of the Bonn Conve ntion 

for the Conservation of Migrat o ry Species 

of Wild Animals. Th i rd ly, e l i m i n ation of illega 

l , unlicensed and unrep o rted “ p i rat e ”fi s h i n g, 

often by fl ag of conve n i e n c e - regi s t e red ve s s e l s , 

for Pat agonian toothfish in the Southern 

O c e a n : a fi s h e ry that is known to have killed 

thousands of seab i rds in its few ye a rs of ex i st 

e n c e. Lastly, to ensure that regional fi s h e ry 

bodies (such as the va rious tuna commissions) 

t a ke an ecosystem ap p ro a ch by re c ognizing the 

p ro blem of seab i rd by - c at ch and adopting 

c o m p u l s o ry mitigation measures to reduce it. 

Wh at has been the progress to date with the 

ab ove objectives? Longlining nations with 

s e ab i rd mortality pro blems are expected to 

h ave adopted their National Plans of Action by 

the next meeting of FAO ’s Committee on Fi s he 

ri e s , in early 2001. Progress has been slow 

i n i t i a l ly, with seemingly ve ry few countri e s 

taking any action last ye a r. An ex c eption wa s 

the United States that released its draft Nat i o nal 

Plan at the end of 1999 for comment. Au st 

ralia had alre a dy adopted its Th re at A b at e m e n t 

Plan for the incidental cat ch of seab i rds that 

goes further than the FAO ’s guidelines. Th i s 

ye a r, h oweve r, d evelopments in Canada, N ew 

Z e a l a n d, South A f rica and the United Kingdom 

suggest that the impetus for action is 

s l ow ly grow i n g. 

The prognosis for an A l b at ross and Pe t re l 

A greement seems cautiously go o d, although it 

m ay be a long haul befo re final adoption. Since 

the 6th Bonn Convention COP, held in Somerset 

We s t , South A f rica in November 1999, s eve 

ral breeding ra n ge states have held info rm a l 

discussions and the fi rst fo rmal intergove rnmental 

meeting is planned for mid-ye a r, i n 

Au s t ralia. Import a n t ly, s u ch an agreement will 

a dd ress the other conservation thre ats fa c i n g 

the bird s , not just longlining. 

Fishing in the Southern Ocean is manage d 

by the Commission for the Conservation of 

A n t a rctic Marine Living Resourc e s , wh i ch fo r 

a number of ye a rs has re q u i red mitigat i o n 

m e a s u res (such as night setting and the use of 

b i rd - s c a ring lines) to be adopted by licensed 

fishing vessels. At its 1999 meeting CCAMLR 

adopted a cat ch documentation scheme that is 

the fi rst step towa rds eliminating the pirat e s . 

S e rious consideration now needs to be given to 

listing toothfish in Appendix II of CITES 

( C o nvention on Intern ational Trade of Endange 

red Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) since 

non-CCAMLR nations can continue fishing on 

the Southern Ocean’s high seas with impunity. 

In contra s t , ve ry little action to date seems to 

h ave taken place within regional fi s h e ry bodies 

other than CCAMLR to add ress the issue. Fo st 

e ring such actions remains a ch a l l e n ge fo r 

B i rd L i fe ’s Seab i rd Conservation Progra m m e. 

The Save the A l b at ross Campaign wishes to 

wo rk with other orga n i z at i o n s , e s p e c i a l ly marine 

and env i ronmental NGOs, to further its 

o b j e c t ives. Close links are kept with the IUCN 

fa m i ly, t h rough the commissions, and via the 

A n t a rctic A dv i s o ry Committee, wh i ch is 

ch a i red by the Progra m m e ’s Co-ord i n at o r. App 

ro a ches for further collab o ration are we lc 

o m e d. Visit our web site at www. u c t . a c. z a / 

d ep t s / s t at s / a d u / s e ab i rds and contact the Coo 

rd i n ator on jcooper@botzo o . u c t . a c. z a . ◆ 

C o n t ri buted by John Cooper, C o - o rd i n at o r, 

B i rd l i fe Intern ational Seab i rd Conservat i o n 

P rogra m m e 

Pa rt n e rships for Pro t e c t i o n 

Pa rt n e rship for Pro t e c t i o n is a collab o rat ive 

p roject between the Wo rld Commission on 

P rotected A reas (WCPA ) , I U C N – The Wo rl d 

C o n s e rvation Union, and the Wo rld Wide Fund 

for Nat u re (WWF). The book invo l ves many of 

the wo rl d ’s leading conservation ex p e rts (including 

many members of the Wo rld Commission 

on Protected A re a ) , examines future 

d i rections for protected area planning and 

m a n agement. Pa rt n e rship for Protection has 

five main sections: the introduction; adopting 

n ew ap p ro a ches to protected area selection; 

building stro n ger alliances with people; seeking 

a wider ra n ge of part n e rs and values; developing 

new models for protected are a s 

m a n agement. Specifi c a l ly, the wri t e rs ex p l o re 

ways of ensuring that all major ecosystems are 

s a feg u a rded and developing innovat ive app 

ro a ches to conservation involving indiv i d u a l s , 

and all aspects of civil society and gove rnments. 

A common theme running through the 

Species 15

ook is the need to build part n e rships with all 

those who have a stake in the care of land and 

water re s o u rces. Pa rt n e rships for Pro t e c t i o n 

gives an ove rv i ew of some of the new thinking 

about protected areas and looks at how protected 

areas can be best placed within the 

f ra m ewo rk of sustainable re s o u rce managem 

e n t . 

Copies are ava i l able from WWF Intern ational 

(via A s t rid Bjorvik) at £18.95 plus 

p o s t age. Please send your order either by mail, 

fa x , or e-mail to WWF Intern at i o n a l , A t t . 

A s t rid Bjorv i k , Fo rest Progra m m e, Ave de Mt. 

Blanc 27, CH–1196 Gland, S w i t ze rl a n d. Fa x : 

41 22 364 06 40; E-mail: ab j o rv i k @ w w f n e t . 

o rg. ◆ C o n t ri buted by Bill Ja ck s o n ,IUCN Fo rest 

Conservation Programme; Je a n - Paul Je a nre 

n a u d, Fo rest for Life Progra m m e, W W F 

I n t e rn ational; and A d rian Phillips, C h a i r, 

I U C N - W C PA 

C ray fish Wo rking Gro u p 

The cray fish wo rking group has been re c e n t ly 

fo rmed to focus on documentation of endange 

red status of fre s h water cray fish thro u g h o u t 

the wo rl d. The focus group consists of Ludw i g 

B u ckup (Unive rsidade Fe d e ral do Rio Gra n d e 

do Sul, B ra z i l ) , Keith Crandall (Bri g h a m 

Young Unive rs i t y, U S A ) ,D avid Holdich (Unive 

rsity of Nottingham, United Kingdom), a n d 

Alastair Rich a rdson (Unive rsity of Ta s m a n i a , 

Au s t ralia). Our fi rst item of effo rt will be to 

u p d ate the IUCN Red List for fre s h water crayfishes. 

Curre n t ly many of the North A m e ri c a n 

species and Au s t ralian species are listed. Howeve 

r, the Euro p e a n , South A m e ri c a n , a n d 

M a d agascar species have not been assessed. 

Our second focus will be to detail the conservation 

issues affecting fre s h water cray fi s h e s , 

n a m e ly land cl e a ra n c e, water quality decl i n e, 

ove r- fi s h i n g, and the introduction of ex o t i c 

species. We would gre at ly ap p re c i ate the input 

f rom fe l l ow astacologists on these and other issues. 

For further info rm ation please contact 

Keith Crandall (ke i t h _ c ra n d a l l @ byu.edu) ◆ 

C o n t ri buted by Denton Belk 

16 Species 

G a l l i fo rmes Specialist Gro u p s 

The five Gallifo rmes Specialist Groups (the 

C racids; the Grouse; the Megapodes; the Pa rt 

ri d ge, Quail and Francolin; and the Pheasant 

Specialist Groups) are all parented by the 

Wo rld Pheasant A s s o c i ation (WPA ) , B i rd L i fe 

I n t e rn ational and the Species Surv ival Commission 

(SSC) of IUCN–The Wo rld Conservation 

Union. Curre n t ly, the re l at i o n s h i p s 

b e t ween these three have never been better. 

Both Bird L i fe and SSC ack n ow l e d ge the leading 

role that W PA plays in stimu l at i n g, m a n aging 

and guiding all five Specialist Groups. In 

m a ny way s , it is not surp rising that W PA play s 

s u ch a role as it cre ated some of the groups and 

has sought to support their wo rk since all five 

became fi rm ly established in the early 1990s. 

The five Specialist Groups all carry out similar 

activ i t i e s , but va ry in the emphases that 

t h ey give to each. This re flects the considerabl e 

ra n ge of info rm ation ava i l able and the conservation 

re q u i rements of species in these gro u p s . 

The core activ i t i e s ,as with many other Special 

G ro u p s , a re dissemination of info rm at i o n 

t h rough new s l e t t e rs , a rra n ging symposia and 

other meetings, and carrying out pro j e c t s . 

M u ch is this is identified in a stru c t u red and 

c ritical manner in the five year Action Plans. 

The three “ p a re n t s ” h ave va ried stre n g t h s 

and there fo re can play ve ry diffe rent roles in 

p u rsuing the goals of the Specialist Gro u p s , a s 

given in the Action Plans. W PA’s interests are 

s p e c i fi c a l ly with Gallifo rmes and their hab it 

at s , B i rd L i fe is concerned with all birds and 

SSC with all species. Ta ken toge t h e r, the thre e 

o rga n i s ations complement each other. W PA 

seeks to look after the day to day mat t e rs of the 

ga l l i fo rm Specialist Groups and seeks to enc 

o u rage cro s s - fe rt i l i s ation of know l e d ge and 

ideas between the five groups to help the cons 

e rvation of these birds and their hab i t at s . 

It is hoped that all five Action Plans will be 

p u blished during 2000: C racids has ap p e a re d, 

G rouse is in pre s s , and second editions of the 

M egap o d e s , Pheasant and PQF plans have all 

been compiled and are re a dy for publ i c at i o n . 

These five action plans cover all 270 or so 

species of Gallifo rms. When publ i s h e d, W PA , 

with the Specialist Gro u p s , will become the 

major focus for co-ord i n ated implementat i o n

of the plans over the next five ye a rs. It is ev ident 

that the ga l l i fo rm Specialist Groups will 

need all three parents playing their diffe re n t 

roles if the goals proposed in the Action Plan 

a re to be pursued and ach i eve d.) ◆ C o nt 

ri buted by Phil McGowa n , Wo rld Pheasant 

A s s o c i at i o n 

C o n s e rvation Needs of Crabs in 

S ey chelles Under Study 

C o n s e rvation of coconut crabs (called ro bb e r 

c rabs in Sey chelles) and the endemic land crab 

ge nus S ey ch e l l s i a a re an important focus of 

b i o d ive rsity conservation on the islands of Seychelles. 

B i rgus lat ro , the coconut crab, is listed 

in the 1996 IUCN Red List as Dat a 

D e ficient. Current re s e a rch , being support e d 

by private donations to Nat u re Protection Tru s t 

of Sey ch e l l e s ,aims to determine the conservation 

needs of these crab s , and the role of all dec 

apods in the ecosystems of the Sey ch e l l e s ’ 

islands. The wo rk in progress should help in 

d eveloping ecosystem based conservation app 

ro a ches for the islands as part of an effo rt to 

m ove away from the unsustainable single 

species measures of the past. 

The taxonomy of terre s t rial decapod crab s 

in Sey chelles has been studied since 1894, 

h owever re s e a rch into ecology and conservation 

status is re l at ive ly recent. To date the only 

e c o l ogical re s e a rch has been the brief studies 

on A l d ab ra atoll in the 1970s and conservat i o n 

s t atus has been neglected until the last five 

ye a rs. Although mu ch of the decapod fauna remains 

to be inve s t i gated in detail, some notabl e 

results are ava i l abl e. 

The majority of the Sey chelles decapods are 

l owland or coastal species. Those inhab i t i n g 

m a n grove and coastal marsh areas are conspicuous 

and a familiar sight to most people in 

S ey chelles whilst the species frequenting ro cky 

a reas remain under- re c o rd e d. Fre s h water and 

f u l ly terre s t rial species are little know n , eve n 

f rom a taxonomic point of view. Only three islands 

have been surveyed in detail: A l d ab ra , 

A ri d e, and Silhouette. The A l d ab ra fauna wa s 

studied in the 1970s and the species list is 

p ro b ably re a s o n ably complete. The perm a n e n t 

p resence of Royal Society for Nat u re Conser- 

vation wa rdens and re s e a rch e rs on A ride has 

a l l owed surveys of decapods started in 1994 to 

c o n t i nu e. This re s e a rch effo rt and the small 

s i ze of the island have resulted in this being the 

most thoro u g h ly re s e a rched of the islands. 

Studies of the fauna of Silhouette we re start e d 

in 1990 and have been intensified by The Nat 

u re Protection Trust of Sey chelles since 1997. 

N ew re c o rds continue to be made and mu ch of 

the island has not been ex p l o re d. 

Of the Sey chelles decapod fauna two crab s 

a re of note. These are the ro bber crab (B i rg u s 

l at ro) and the endemic land crab (S ey ch e l l s i a 

a l l u a u d i) , a monotypic ge nus. The ro bber crab 

is abundant on A l d ab ra and this is the only 

re c o rded breeding population in Sey ch e l l e s , 

although there are anecdotal rep o rts of populations 

on other atolls such as Cosmoledo. Th e 

A l d ab ran population is secure but due to the 

d i rection of local sea currents the potential fo r 

re - c o l o n i s ation of other islands is ex t re m e ly 

l i m i t e d. The fi rst evidence of re - c o l o n i s at i o n 

was the discove ry of at least two individuals on 

A ride in 1998. Given the distance betwe e n 

A ride and the nearest ro bber crab populat i o n 

( A l d ab ra) and the direction of marine curre n t s 

it is believed that the A ride re c o rds are the result 

of a ve ry ra re chance colonisation. At pre sent 

it is not known whether or not these 

o b s e rvations rep resent a small, e s t abl i s h e d 

p o p u l ation or a tempora ry colonisation. Res 

e a rch e rs on A ride are searching for the pre sence 

of these individuals and any ove rl o o ke d 

j u veniles. If a population we re to become est 

ablished in the security of A ride it would allow 

re - c o l o n i s ation of all of the granitic islands. 

The endemic land-crab ge nus S ey ch e l l s i a 

was re c o rded fi rst from Praslin Island (1874) 

and subsequently from Mahé and La Digue. It 

is has been found in all mid- and high-altitude 

h ab i t at s ,even being observed on the summit of 

M o rne Sey ch e l l o i s , the highest point in Seychelles. 

Praslin supports the nominate population 

of S. alluaudi and there are known to be 

d i ffe rences between Praslin individuals and animals 

from La Digue and Mahé, wh i ch are suspected 

to be distinct species. S ey ch e l l s i a wa s 

p resumed to occur on Silhouette (the third 

l a rgest island of the group) and this was confi 

rmed in 1999. This population is signifi c a n tly 

diffe rent from the others and a full rev i s i o n 

Species 17

of the ge nus is planned over the next two ye a rs . 

E a ch of these populations is of conservat i o n 

s i g n i fi c a n c e. The Mahé fo rm is widespre a d 

and re l at ive ly secure whilst the precise distributions 

on Praslin and La Digue are unknow n 

and need inve s t i gation. On Silhouette only two 

p o p u l ations are known at pre s e n t , one in an 

ep h e m e ral pool and one in a mid-altitude 

s t ream. Both are small and isolated; their popu 

l ation stability and ecology are being studied 

at present. Research aims to locate further popu 

l ations on the island.) ◆ C o n t ri buted by Ju s t i n 

G e rl a ch 

Recent Species Info rm ation Serv i c e 

(SIS) A c t iv i t i e s ,June 2000 

I n t ro d u c t i o n 

This note provides a brief update of progress in 

d evelopment of the SSC Species Info rm at i o n 

S e rvice (SIS) since November 1999. For info rm 

ation on previous SIS development activ i t i e s , 

see the rep o rts in S p e c i e s30 and 33. The main 

a c t ivities carried out since November 1999 

h ave been: 

• SSC Pri o rity for SIS. At its meeting in 

White Oak, F l o ri d a ,U S A , held last March , 

the SSC Exe c u t ive Committee confi rm e d 

t h at it considered the development of the 

Species Info rm ation Service (SIS) to be the 

top pri o rity of the SSC, with the target that 

it be fully operational in the year 2001. 

• SIS Deve l o p m e n t . Fo l l owing up on the results 

and decisions made at the SIS meeting 

held in November 1998, the development of 

the 2nd trial softwa re ve rsion (Ve rsion 0.2) 

was completed in Ja nu a ry 2000. Rev i ew 

and testing of Ve rsion 0.2 was carried out by 

va rious Specialist Groups during Feb ru a ry 

and March. A wo rkshop to agree to final revisions 

to Ve rsion 0.2, wh i ch will lead to the 

full wo rking release ve rsion (Ve rsion 1.0) 

was held in Rome, I t a ly, in March 2000. A 

rep o rt of the wo rkshop is annexed below. 

• C e n t ral Service Unit. S i g n i ficant progre s s 

has been made towa rd the establishment of 

a SIS Central Service Unit (CSU). Luigi 

B o i t a n i ,C o - chair of the SIS Data Management 

Wo rking Group has nego t i ated an 

18 Species 

agreement with the Director General of Nat 

u re Conservation Service (SCN) at the 

M i n i s t e ro dell’Ambiente (Env i ronment) of 

I t a ly to support the implementation and ru nning 

of the CSU in Rome. The agre e m e n t 

will allow SIS to set up the CSU in a suite 

of offices inside the Ministry of Env i ro nment 

in Rome, and provide additional financial 

support for executing SIS activ i t i e s 

(CSU staffi n g, p rogra m m i n g, e t c.). Th i s 

agreement will be for one year only, but we 

hope that the contract can be re n ewed to 

give SIS operations the consistency that it 

re q u i re s . 

• Talks with Ora cl e. An initial meeting bet 

ween Luigi Boitani, C o - chair of the SIS 

D ata Management Wo rking Group and 

Juan Rada, M a n aging Director of Ora cl e 

S o f t wa re (Switze rl a n d ) , give us a pre l i m in 

a ry indication that Ora cle may be intere s ted 

in providing technical support (softwa re 

and tech n i c i a n s / p rogra m m e rs) for deve l o ping 

the SIS into a cutting edge project that 

combines conservation and info rm at i o n 

t e ch n o l ogy. Further discussion will continue 

in the near future. Wat ch this space! 

The Near Future 

D evelopment of the SIS softwa re will continu e 

based on the results of the discussion of the 

meeting held in Rome. Our goal at this time is 

to complete a stand-alone ve rsion of the SIS 

s o f t wa re by the end of 2000. Initially we had 

aimed to complete this stage of deve l o p m e n t 

by the time of the IUCN Wo rld Conservat i o n 

C o n gress (Amman, Jo rd a n , October 2000; see 

A n n ex ) , h owever delays in funding and programming 

will not allow us to fulfill this go a l . 

At the WCC we will be able to (1) present the 

ove rall pers p e c t ive of the SIS initiat ive and the 

role it will play in SSC’s future for data management 

and delive ry of conservation analy s e s 

and products; and (2) demonstrate the essential 

functions of the SIS softwa re. 

S i mu l t a n e o u s ly we have begun to ex p l o re 

the next phase of SIS development—to make it 

Web-based so that it can fulfill the commu n ic 

ations function within and among Specialist 

G ro u p s , and within the conservation commun 

i t y. Establishment of the CSU and discussion 

with leading computing fi rms has put us on a

solid tra ck towa rd the development of this go a l . 

Our requests for funding for SIS are not excl 

u s ive ly in the realm of softwa re deve l o pment. 

We re a l i ze the importance of ge n e rat i n g 

s u p p o rt , both in terms of training and res 

o u rc e s , for Specialist Groups for the entry of 

their data into SIS—without wh i ch the ve n t u re 

will be hollow. Significant strides are being 

made on this front as we l l . 

A ck n ow l e d gement of our Donors 

and Contri bu t o rs 

D evelopment of the SIS softwa re, wo rk s h o p s 

and meetings thus fa r, h ave been made possibl e 

thanks to ge n e rous contri butions fro m : Th e 

D avid and Lucille Pa ck a rd Fo u n d ation; Margo t 

M a rsh Biodive rsity Fo u n d ation; US State Dep 

a rtment; Chicago Zoological Society; Norc 

ross Wi l d l i fe Fo u n d ation; ESRI Conservat i o n 

P rogram; Norwegian A ge n cy for Deve l o p m e n t 

C o o p e ration (NORAD); Dep a rtment of A n imal 

and Human Biology, U n ive rsity of Rome 

“la Sapienza”; Istituto Ecologia Ap p l i c at a 

( R o m e ) ,A ri zona State Unive rsity and the Biod 

ive rsity Conservation Info rm ation System 

(BCIS). We ex p ress our gratitude to these 

s o u rc e s , as well as to other contri bu t o rs wh o 

p re fer to remain anony m o u s . 

A n n ex 

IUCN-SSC Species Info rm ation 

S e rvice (SIS) Wo rk s h o p ,R o m e, 

M a rch 2000 

E xe c u t ive Summary 

B a ck gro u n d 

The SSC is developing a Species Info rm at i o n 

S e rvice (SIS) designed to be a compre h e n s ive 

global info rm ation re s o u rce that provides curre 

n t , q u a l i t y, s p at i a l ly explicit biodive rsity info 

rm ation to support scientific discove ry, 

n at u ral re s o u rce manage m e n t , and policy fo rmu 

l ation. 

Based on decisions made at meetings held 

in Rome in November 1998 and Nove m b e r 

1999 wh i ch eva l u ated progress made to date in 

the development of the SIS softwa re, the nex t 

s t ages of SIS development we re planned. A 

p rocess was outlined to engage SSC members 

rep resenting a wide va riety of species. Th e 

p rocess entailed: (1) development of the 2nd 

t rial softwa re ve rsion (SIS Ve rsion 0.2), to be 

completed by the end of 1999; (2) rev i ew and 

testing of Ve rsion 0.2 in early 2000; and (3) a 

wo rkshop to agree to final revisions to Ve rs i o n 

0 . 2 , in prep a ration for a full wo rking Ve rs i o n 

1.0. The wo rkshop was scheduled to take place 

in Rome, I t a ly, in March 2000. 

The ultimate goals of the wo rkshop we re to 

d evelop guidelines for the full wo rking re l e a s e 

Ve rsion 1.0 softwa re of SIS, and to ensure that 

this ve rsion meets the needs of Specialist 

G roups as well as SSC’s vision to produce enhanced 

integrated biodive rsity analy s e s . 

Wo rkshop Objective s 

• R ev i ew SIS trial softwa re Ve rsion 0.2 and 

discuss proposed actions for its future imp 

l e m e n t at i o n 

• D e fine the driving ideas for future implem 

e n t ation of SIS incl u d i n g : module pri o rit 

i e s ,d e finition of standard s , re s p o n s i b i l i t i e s 

for authority lists and key wo rd s , and computer 

technicalities such as dat abase fo rm 

at s , l a n g u age, e t c. 

Species 19

• Decide on the future implementation of SIS 

( h ow, wh o , wh e n , s chedule for full wo rk i n g 

Ve rsion 1.0, p rocess for future eva l u at i o n s 

of Ve rsion 1.0, timing of enhancements, 

e t c. ) 

• D raft a program of actions for Specialist 

G roup invo l vement and capacity bu i l d i n g, 

decide on target Specialist Groups for further 

testing, d evelop training pro t o c o l s ,e t c. 

Pa rt i c i p a n t s 

The 25 participants rep resented a broad cro s s - 

section of the conservation commu n i t y. A l l 

p a rticipants had been provided in advance with 

a copy of SIS Trial Ve rsion 0.2 to test with 

d at a , and a sample questionnaire to encourage 

c o n s t ru c t ive comments on the softwa re based 

on their ex p e rience using it. Pa rticipants included 

three SSC staff, the co-ch a i rs , and two 

m e m b e rs of the SSC Data Management Wo rking 

Gro u p , the pri m a ry SIS progra m m e r, 

IUCN head of Info rm ation Manage m e n t , 

s even animal Specialist Group rep re s e n t at ive s 

( f rom elephants to molluscs), five plant Specialist 

Groups or sub-committee rep re s e n t at 

ives (from orchids—medicinal plants), t wo 

d i s c i p l i n a ry Specialist Gro u p s ,one rep re s e n t at 

ive from Bird L i fe Intern at i o n a l , and one regional 

dat abase specialist (China). A list of the 

names and affi l i ations of the participants is 

given below. 

P ro t o c o l 

The wo rkshop was designed to be open and 

p a rt i c i p at o ry, taking into consideration the 

b road ra n ge of back grounds and ap p ro a ches of 

Specialist Groups towa rd data manage m e n t . 

We rev i ewed the ge n e ral data stru c t u re of SIS, 

and then each participant critiqued trial Ve rs i o n 

0.2 towa rd the goal of how it could be imp 

rove d. For compari s o n ,p re s e n t ations of other 

d at abase systems we re given (WILDPro — Ve te 

ri n a ry Specialist Group; China Species Info rm 

ation System). Then in detail each of the 

s p e c i fic modular parts of SIS we re rev i ewe d, 

with special emphasis on the issues and suggestions 

raised during the trial testing of the 

s o f t wa re. We discussed in detail future tech n ical 

ch a n ges and enhancements to the SIS softwa 

re to ensure that it would run more 

s m o o t h ly, be more user- f ri e n d ly, and add re s s 

20 Species 

the needs of the conservation community more 

f u l ly. Other major discussions included the 

t i m e - t able for SIS development and implement 

at i o n ,and the development of Au t h o rity Fi l e s . 

O u t c o m e s 

SIS Softwa re 

G e n e ral Considerat i o n s 

• Use can be slow and cumbersome in places, 

and nav i gation through the program is not 

a lways tra n s p a re n t — D e c i s i o n : i m p rove 

d o c u m e n t at i o n ,modify screens to improve 

n av i gat i o n , a dd shortcuts to enhance dat a 

e n t ry. 

• System will be most useful with enhanced 

i n t egration allowing two way fl ow of info rm 

at i o n — D e c i s i o n : i m p rove import / ex p o rt 

f u n c t i o n s ,d evelop intern e t / web cap ab i l i t i e s 

• System needs links to hab i t at , cl i m at e, 

socio-economic dat a , e t c. — D e c i s i o n : d evelop 

value added data links, p o s s i ble via 

BCIS and web connectedness 

• System curre n t ly is most difficult for users 

f rom disciplinary Specialist Groups and 

those with a large number of taxa—Decis 

i o n : i n t egrate means to link activities of 

these Specialist Groups to SIS, most part i cu 

l a rly through the Conservation A c t i o n 

m o d u l e 

• System needs analytical functionality—Dec 

i s i o n : this should become ava i l able with 

the development of the Central Service Unit 

• D ata security should be add re s s e d — D e c is 

i o n : this important issue has been add 

ressed through “BCIS Po l i cy Fra m ewo rk 

for Info rm ation Shari n g ” wh i ch must be 

made ava i l able to SIS users 

Modular Considerat i o n s 

For each of the main functional part s , or modu 

l e s , of SIS, a wide va riety of technical suggestions 

we re made (Taxonomic Module, 

Object Brow s e r, Po p u l ation Data Module, G eographic 

Module, Red List Module, R e fe re n c e 

M o d u l e, C o n s e rvation Action Module). Th e re 

was active discussion among participants fo r 

e a ch suggestion. The pri m a ry SIS progra m m e r

and the Co-ch a i rs of the SSC Data Management 

Wo rking Group care f u l ly noted each suggestion 

for incorp o ration into Ve rsion 1.0 of 

S I S. The majority of the wo rkshop was dedic 

ated to this discussion. 

Au t h o rity Fi l e s 

The third day of the wo rkshop was devoted to 

discussion of the va rious Au t h o rity Files that 

will rep resent core functions within SIS. Aut 

h o rity Files are those standard i zed text fi l e s ,i n 

h i e ra rchical ord e r, to be used to describe va rious 

conservation actions, h ab i t at s , e t c. used in 

S I S. Considerable progress was made towa rd 

finalizing these lists. 

SIS Implementat i o n 

Plans we re made to introduce Ve rsion 1.0 of 

the SIS softwa re at the 2nd Wo rld Conservation 

Congress wh e re the SSC and IUCN will 

hold meetings in A m m a n , Jo rd a n , in October 

2000. This fully developed stand-alone ve rs i o n 

of SIS will be ava i l able for distri bution for use 

by Specialist Groups. The launch will incl u d e 

p re s e n t at i o n s ,d e m o n s t rations of the operat i o n 

of SIS, and distri bution of bro ch u res ex p l a i ning 

the philosophy and functionalities of SIS. 

An opportunity for establishment of the SIS 

C e n t ral Service Unit has been made ava i l abl e 

by the Gove rnment of Italy, thus prov i d i n g 

s u p p o rt for Specialist Groups using SIS fo ll 

owing the W C C . 

The introduction of SIS Ve rsion 1.0 at the 

WCC will rep resent the beginning of the imp 

o rtant second phase of SIS deve l o p m e n t . 

Most notable will be the entry of data and 

t raining in use of SIS at the level of Specialist 

G roups. Also ahead is the task of linking SIS 

among users within and among Specialist 

G ro u p s ,and SG linkages to the Central Serv i c e 

U n i t , all through the intern e t . 

Also important for the SIS initiat ive is the necessity 

to acquire sufficient funding for continued 

development (in particular intern e t 

c o n n e c t iv i t y ) , and support of data entry and 

a n a ly s e s . 

List of Pa rticipants to the Wo rk s h o p 

L u i gi Boitani, DMWG Co-chair; A n d rew 

S m i t h , DMWG Co-chair; Bert rand de Montm 

o l l i n ,DMWG; David Give n , DMWG; Fab i o 

C o rs i , DMWG; Jo rge Rab i n ov i ch , D M W G ; 

Jean Th i e, IUCN-IMG; Martin Sneary, 

B i rd L i fe Intern ational; Xie Ya n , R egional dat abase 

specialist (China); Craig Hilton-Tay l o r, 

Red List Programme; Christopher Th o u l e s s , 

A f rican Elephant Specialist Group; Brian Reilly, 

Antelope Specialist Group; Giova n n i 

B e a r z i , Cetacean Specialist Group; Hector 

R a n ge l , L ago m o rph Specialist Gro u p ; 

C h ristoph Sch e i d egge r, L i chen Specialist- 

G roup; Danna Leaman, Medicinal Plants Specialist 

Group; Olivia Delanoe, M e d i t e rra n e a n 

Island Plant Specialist Group; Mary Sedd o n , 

Mollusk Specialist Group; Shellagh Ke l l , O rchid 

Specialist Group; A n t h o ny Rylands, P rim 

ate Specialist Group; Pritpal S. Soora e, 

R e - I n t roduction Specialist Group; Giova n n i 

A m o ri ,Rodent Specialist Group; Joshua Dein, 

Ve t e ri n a ry Specialist Group; Mari a n o 

Gimenez Dixon, S t a ff; and We n dy Stra h m , 

S t a ff. ◆ C o n t ri buted by Mariano Gimenez- 

D i x o n 

Species 21

In Memori a m 

Abdou-Salam Ouédra ogo . It wa s 

with ve ry deep sadness and shock that we 

l e a rned of Abdou-Salam Ouédra ogo ’s tragi c 

d e ath in the Ke nya A i r ways A i r bus crash on 

the night of Sunday 30 Ja nu a ry 2000. 

Wo rds will never be able to adequat e ly exp 

ress the sorrow caused by this loss to his imm 

e d i ate fa m i ly (he leaves behind his wife 

C at h e rine and two ch i l d re n — E b e n e ze r, 10 and 

E s t h e r, 8) as well as to his nu m e rous cl o s e 

f ri e n d s . 

A b d o u , a citizen of Burkina Fa s o , was we l l 

k n own throughout A f rica and the scientifi c 

wo rld as a distinguished scientist and a leader 

in his fi e l d. Since Feb ru a ry 1993, A b d o u - 

Salam Ouédra ogo had been wo rking for the Int 

e rn ational Plant Genetic Resources Institute 

( I P G R I ) , as Senior Scientist, Fo rest Genetic 

R e s o u rc e s , leading IPGRI’s global project on 

fo rest genetic re s o u rces. These ye a rs of 

“ h a n d s - o n ” ex p e rience gave him a thoro u g h 

u n d e rstanding of the complex realities and 

needs of the developing wo rld in the area of 

plant genetic re s o u rc e s ,p a rt i c u l a rly in Sub-Sah 

a ran A f rica. In 1995 he was awa rded a PhD 

on Conservation Biology by Wage n i n gen Unive 

rsity and, b e fo re joining IPGRI, was the 

22 Species 

founding Director of the Fo rest Tree Seed Cent 

re in Ouaga d o u gou and Coord i n ator of the 

FAO/CILSS regional fo rest genetic re s o u rc e s 

p rogra m m e. 

In 1997 Abdou was nominated Chair of the 

IUCN/SSC A f rican Tree Specialist Gro u p , at a 

c o n s e rvation and sustainable use of trees meeting 

in Zimbab we. All the participants at this 

meeting agreed that Abdou was unique in 

being able to unite both anglophone and fra ncophone 

A f rican ex p e rts together in pro m o t i n g 

the conservation of the continent’s trees. He 

had a gre at ability to wo rk with people and instill 

team spiri t . 

In October 1999 he was promoted to the position 

of Regional Director for Sub-Sahara n 

A f ri c a , based at IPGRI’s office in Nairo b i , 

Ke nya. Within the ve ry short time that he wa s 

to fill this position, he again demonstrated his 

unique vision, l e a d e rship style, p e rsonality and 

good humour. 

Abdou will be re m e m b e red for his vitality 

and his ex t re m e ly positive attitude towa rds life, 

even when faced with difficult ch a l l e n ges. He 

was a unique indiv i d u a l , l oved by eve ryo n e 

who knew him. His life was a continuous end 

e avour to make the wo rld a better place.

B o o k s 

H e ron Conservat i o n 

Edited by James A. Kushlan and Heinz Hafner. 2000. Academic Pre s s , L o n d o n . 

xvi + 480 pp. ISBN 0-12-430130-4. 

H e ron Conservat i o n is a masterly and compreh 

e n s ive compilation of the state of curre n t 

k n ow l e d ge on the status and conservation of 

the 60 species of herons wo rl dw i d e. The vo lume 

is a major update and extension of Th e 

H e rons Handbook p roduced by James Hanc 

o ck and Jim Kushlan in 1984 and incorp orates 

the wealth of new info rm ation on hero n s 

t h at has been gat h e red during the last 15 ye a rs . 

H e ron Conservation is the product of a major 

c o l l ab o rat ive effo rt by heron re s e a rch e rs and 

c o n s e rvationists wo rl dw i d e, d rawing on the 

k n ow l e d ge and info rm ation of over 200 exp 

e rts and 20 major contri bu t o rs wo rl dw i d e 

t h rough the auspices of the IUCN/Bird L i fe Int 

e rn at i o n a l / Wetlands Intern ational Heron Specialist 

Group. The book’s editors , Jim Ku s h l a n 

and Heinz Hafner are the Co-ord i n at o rs of the 

Specialist Gro u p . 

H e rons are vital elements of healthy we tland 

ecosystems. The huge demands of the 

m i l l i n e ry trade for the plume fe at h e rs of egre t s 

led to the fo rm ation in the late 19th century of 

wh at has become one of the largest and most 

i n fluential of bird conservation orga n i s at i o n s , 

the Royal Society for the Protection of Bird s . 

H e ron Conservation is in three main part s . 

Fi rst come eight regional rev i ews of heron status 

and conservat i o n ,e a ch cove ring a continent 

or sub-continent. Each of these ch ap t e rs cont 

a i n s : a brief ove rv i ew of the regi o n ’s hero n 

fauna and the env i ronmental conditions on 

wh i ch it dep e n d s , fo l l owed by a description of 

the ch a n ging status of each of the regi o n ’s 

species and an analysis of the critical conservation 

and regional management issues fo r 

h e rons. The second part comprises seven topical 

ch ap t e rs each add ressing a critical issue in 

h e ron conservation and management. Th e s e 

c over nest site conservat i o n , feeding hab i t at 

c o n s e rvat i o n , c o n s e rvation of wintering and 

m i grat o ry hab i t at s , e nv i ronmental contamin 

a n t s , a q u a c u l t u re, c ap t ive populations and 

h e rons as indicat o rs. This last ch apter is part i c- 

u l a rly topical, given the continuing attempts of 

the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and Convention 

on Biological Dive rsity to deve l o p 

guidance on the selection and use of indicat o rs , 

and rev i ews the value of a wide va riety of indic 

at o rs at sub-orga n i s m , o rga n i s m , p o p u l at i o n 

and community/ecosystem levels. A fi n a l 

ch apter in this part of the book add resses the 

m a ny gaps in the know l e d ge and info rm at i o n 

needed for heron conservat i o n . 

The final part of the book is a condensed 

ve rsion of a global-scale conservation action 

plan for hero n s , focusing on species, s u b - 

species and populations of conservation conc 

e rn and outlining ge n e ral and specific action 

re q u i red to maintain or enhance these populations. 

18 of the wo rl d ’s 60 heron species fa l l 

under IUCN’s globally thre atened or neart 

h re atened status cat ego ries. The Heron Specialist 

Group is now expanding this ch ap t e r 

into a compre h e n s ive Heron Conservation A ction 

Plan. 

This book is a must for all those invo l ved in 

re s e a rch and conservation of wetlands and wat 

e r b i rds. It provides the essential sourc ebook of 

i n fo rm ation and guidance for those re s e a rch i n g 

and managing heron populations. Furt h e rm o re, 

its mix of regi o n a l , species and topical issue 

syntheses provides a model for the pre s e n t at i o n 

of info rm ation vital as the basis for ap p ro p ri at e 

s u s t a i n able use policy and decision-making 

wh e re herons are invo l ve d. The editors have 

c re ated a clear ch a l l e n ge to other Specialist 

G roups to draw on their ex p e rt netwo rks to 

p roduce similarly authori t at ive volumes on 

their taxa. 

R ev i ewed by Nick Dav i d s o n , D eputy Secret 

a ry General of the Ramsar Conve n t i o n , 

and was fo rm e rly Wetlands Intern at i o n a l ’s 

Science Co-ord i n ator with responsibility for 

d eveloping the IUCN/Wetlands Intern at i o na 

l / B i rd L i fe Intern ational netwo rk of wat e r b i rd 

Specialist Gro u p s . 

Species 23

Specialist Group Rep o rt s 

Antelope Specialist Gro u p 

The Gro u p ’s main activities for the tri e n n i a l 

p e riod (as outlined to the SSC Chair in Ju n e 

1997) and examples of significant ach i evements 

during the triennium are summari s e d 

b e l ow : 

1 . Highlighting pro blems of antelope conservation 

by bri n ging pri o rities for action to 

the attention of national and intern at i o n a l 

c o n s e rvation age n c i e s , re c o m m e n d i n g 

p ractical solutions and providing tech n i c a l 

assistance wh e re re q u e s t e d. Examples of 

a c t ivities in this area include recent at t e m p t s 

to highlight the potential thre ats posed by 

p roposed agri c u l t u ral development sch e m e s 

to the savanna woodland ecosystems of 

N o rth Prov i n c e, C a m e ro o n , wh i ch have 

ve ry high biodive rsity conservation va l u e s , 

and advice to national conservation authorities 

and intern ational donor agencies on the 

most effe c t ive conservation options for the 

B a fing region of southwe s t e rn Mali. 

2 . M o n i t o ring the status of antelopes, i n cl u ding 

continual updating of the A S G ’s country 

by country info rm ation base, and monitoring 

the success of attempts to conserve and 

s u s t a i n ably utilise antelopes. M a j o r 

a ch i evements during the triennium incl u d e 

the publ i c ation of the widely accl a i m e d 

A f rican Antelope Dat abase 1998 and prep aration 

of A n t e l o p e s : Global Survey & Regional 

Action Plans, p a rt 4: N o rth A f ri c a , 

the Middle East & A s i a ( n ow awaiting publ 

i c ation by IUCN). The large number of 

species (102) cove red by the ASG make s 

these exe rcises more complex and timeconsuming 

than similar effo rts by SSC Specialist 

Groups wh i ch cover only one or a 

few species. 

3 . P u blicising and assisting with fund-ra i s i n g 

for specific antelope pro j e c t s . D u ring the 

t ri e n n i u m ,the ASG has successfully ra i s e d 

funds for projects on surveys of the abu ndance 

of ga zelles and other thre at e n e d 

species in eastern Sudan, seasonal movements 

of giant eland in nort h e rn Camero o n , 

24 Species 

an aerial survey of wildlife populations 

in southwe s t e rn Mali, t ra n s l o c ation of a 

b reeding nu cleus of the endange red A d e rs ’ 

d u i ker to Chumbe Island, Z a n z i b a r, a n d 

c o n s e rvation of the giant sable antelope in 

A n go l a . 

A S G ’s Plans for 2000–2003 

D u ring the next tri e n n i u m , the Gro u p ’s main 

a c t ivities will continue along the same lines as 

in the last two triennia (points 1 to 3 ab ove ) . 

With the publ i c ation of part 4 of A n t e l o p e s : 

Global Survey & Regional Action Plans expected 

to occur during calendar year 2000, t h e 

ASG will have ach i eved its immediate goals of 

documenting the distri bu t i o n , abundance and 

c o n s e rvation status of all antelope species and 

assessing intern ational conservation pri o ri t i e s . 

We will also continue to monitor the success of 

va rious ap p ro a ches to the conservation of antelope 

populat i o n s , but the main focus of the 

G ro u p ’s activities will now shift to implementing 

the Regional Action Plans. 

Most of the pri o rities identified in the Regional 

Action Plans invo l ve improving the protection 

and management of existing pro t e c t e d 

a reas wh i ch support intern at i o n a l ly signifi c a n t 

antelope communities. The major thrust in int 

e rn ational effo rts to enhance the conservat i o n 

of antelopes and other wildlife in A f ri c a , t h e 

M i ddle East and Asia comes from bilat e ral development 

assistance and from agencies such 

as the GEF. These fund a va riety of pro j e c t s 

aimed at supporting key protected are a s , e nhancing 

wildlife protection and manage m e n t 

c ap a c i t i e s , and developing commu n i t y - b a s e d 

c o n s e rvation in antelope ra n ge states. The A S G 

in part i c u l a r, and IUCN in ge n e ra l , a re only 

minor playe rs in this ove rall intern ational effo rt 

to assist wildlife conservation in these count 

ries (some ASG members wo rk pro fe s s i o n a l ly 

on conservation programmes for national or int 

e rn ational conservation age n c i e s ,but these act 

ivities are sep a rate from their invo l ve m e n t 

with IUCN/SSC and cannot be claimed to be 

d i re c t ly part of the A S G ’s activ i t i e s ) .

The ASG relies on the vo l u n t a ry effo rts of 

its members , in particular the two co-ch a i rs 

and a few other key members , i n cluding some 

who wo rk in pro fessions unre l ated to wildlife 

c o n s e rvation. The Gro u p ’s role in fund-ra i s i n g 

is there fo re re s t ricted to re l at ive ly small pro jects 

that focus on specific antelope conservation 

issues wh i ch complement bro a d e r, l a rge r 

scale conservation projects such as those funded 

through bilat e ral assistance and the GEF. 

These small-scale, a n t e l o p e - s p e c i fic pro j e c t s 

can be cri t i c a l ly important for improving the 

c o n s e rvation status of ra re or thre atened taxa. 

Attention is curre n t ly focussed on at t e m p t i n g 

to raise funds for and implement projects on 

species such as the giant eland (Camero o n , 

C e n t ral A f rican Rep u bl i c ) ,b o n go (Congo Rep 

u bl i c, Ke nya ) , giant sable (Ango l a ) , e n d e m i c 

antelopes of nort h e a s t e rn A f rica (Djibouti, 

Ethiopia) and A d e rs ’d u i ker (Zanzibar). 

SSC Strat egic Planning 

As commu n i c ated to the SSC Chair in Nove mber 

1998, the two key areas of concern to the 

ASG in the context of the current SSC strat egi c 

planning exe rcise are the need to improve 

c o m mu n i c ation within IUCN, and the need to 

shift some of the emphasis away from the 

n eve r-ending prep a ration of info rm ation (such 

as Red Lists, Action Plans, SIS) to the i m p l em 

e n t at i o nof Action Plans, i n cluding the deve lopment 

of a compre h e n s ive fund-ra i s i n g 

s t rat egy to ach i eve this in a coord i n ated manner 

across IUCN. 

The goal of intern ational antelope conservation 

policy, as developed by the ASG in the 

1 9 8 0 s , is “to ensure the long-term surv ival of 

all antelope species by maintaining as many 

v i able populations as possible of each species 

in as wide a ra n ge of its hab i t ats as is pra c t ical”. 

The ASG has consistently emphasised 

t h at to succeed, antelope conservation must not 

be an end in itself but part of an ove rall env ironmental 

and biodive rsity conservation strategy 

wh i ch takes full account of, and is 

i n t egrated with, human development needs. 

This goal for antelope conservation obv io 

u s ly fits comfo rt ably with the vision and go a l 

espoused in the SSC Strat egic Plan. At the obj 

e c t ive and output leve l , the A S G ’s activ i t i e s 

fall large ly into two are a s : ge n e ration of scient 

i fic info rm at i o n ,and fund-raising for and imp 

l e m e n t ation of specific conservation pro j e c t s . 

I t ’s not clear to us wh i ch objectives and outputs 

of the SSC Strat egic Plan are best suited for the 

A S G ’s projects on antelopes. Howeve r, we assume 

that there will always be a place somewh 

e re within the SSC fra m ewo rk for the 

d evelopment of taxon-specific conservat i o n 

m e a s u res as a fundamental SSC activ i t y. 

The capacity of the ASG to contri bute to the 

ve ry impre s s ive objectives and outputs of the 

SSC Strat egic Plan is constrained by such fa ct 

o rs as: 

• the Gro u p ’s total dependence on the vo l u nt 

a ry effo rts of its members , who are pri m ari 

ly motivated by their fa s c i n ation with the 

beauty and evo l u t i o n a ry significance of antelopes 

and the know l e d ge that antelope 

c o n s e rvation is of crucial importance; the 

A S G ’s membership has a strong desire to 

focus the Gro u p ’s ve ry limited re s o u rces on 

i m m e d i at e, p ractical initiat ives to adva n c e 

antelope conservation as and when these 

o p p o rtunities arise 

• the lack of a compre h e n s ive, c o o rd i n at e d 

f u n d - raising strat egy by IUCN to assist the 

i m p l e m e n t ation of individual specialist 

gro u p ’s Action Plans and the seve re ly limited 

capacity of IUCN to assist indiv i d u a l 

specialist groups in fund-raising activ i t i e s 

• the difficulty of coord i n ating the A S G ’s act 

ivities with other parts of IUCN because of 

the difficulty of finding out wh at ’s hap p e ning 

in other parts of the orga n i s at i o n ,e s p ec 

i a l ly the national and regional IUCN 

o ffi c e s . 

Within these constra i n t s , the ASG re m a i n s 

committed to doing wh at we can to contri bu t e 

to and assist the implementation of the SSC 

S t rat egic Plan. If constraints such as those rel 

ated to fund-raising and commu n i c ation within 

IUCN could be ove rc o m e, we could 

p ro b ably ach i eve a lot more. 

Rod East, C o - ch a i r 

Species 25

A f rican Elephant Specialist Gro u p 

S e rving the Members h i p 

B e t ween 1996 and 2000, the A f rican Elep h a n t 

Specialist Group (AfESG) has grown in size 

and complex i t y. The AfESG curre n t ly employ s 

four full-time staff, with the possible add i t i o n 

of another ve ry short ly, under the superv i s i o n 

of a ve ry ove r- s t re t ched Chair. At present these 

a re : a Programme Officer and Secre t a ry for the 

AfESG Secre t a ri at offi c e s , and a full-time 

m a n ager of the A f rican Elephant Dat ab a s e 

( A E D ) , all based in Nairo b i , Ke nya. The Programme 

Officer for West A f rica is based at the 

IUCN Regional Office for West A f rica in Ouaga 

d o u go u , B u rkina Fa s o . 

The AfESG has undert a ken a ve ry active, 

p ro d u c t ive and ch a l l e n ging programme of 

wo rk since the last Wo rld Conservation Congress 

in Montreal in November 1996. 

AfESG Meeting and Deve l o p m e n t s 

in West A f ri c a 

A meeting of the entire Specialist Group took 

place in Ja nu a ry 1998 in Ouaga d o u go u ,B u rkina 

Faso; the fi rst full meeting of the A f E S G 

26 Species 

m e m b e rship ever held in Fre n ch - s p e a k i n g 

A f rican nation. The details of that meeting 

we re published in the journal of the A f ri c a n 

E l ep h a n t , the A f rican Rhino and the A s i a n 

Rhino Specialist Gro u p s , Pa chy d e rm No. 25. 

The membership rev i ewed and adopted Te rm s 

of Refe rence for the AfESG and its two Ta s k 

Fo rc e s , the Data Rev i ew Task Fo rce (DRT F ) 

and the Human-Elephant Conflict Task Fo rc e 

(HETF). 

One of the most important outcomes of the 

m e e t i n g, was the re c o m m e n d ation to develop a 

s t rat egy for the conservation of elephants in 

West A f rica. The re c o m m e n d ation was take n 

up at a wo rk s h o p ,financed by W W F, in A b i djan 

in Feb ru a ry 1999. By August 1999, a fi n a l 

document “ S t rat egy for the Management of 

West A f rican Elep h a n t s ”was produced in English 

and Fre n ch. Concerted effo rts to implement 

the strat egy and find funding for its 

i n d ividual components are being co-ord i n at e d 

by IUCN WA RO and the AfESG (or in fra ncophone 

countries “GSEAF”) in Ouaga 

d o u gou. With the re l o c ation of the A f E S G 

P rogramme Office for West and Central A f ri c a

f rom Cameroon to Burkina Fa s o , went a 

ch a n ge in the wo rking programme of the 

AfESG in the sub-region. The focus is now on 

the implementation of the strat egy and the 

signs are ve ry positive, the document hav i n g 

clear appeal to donors . 

A sub-regional “ i n fo rm ation netwo rk ” o n 

West A f rican elep h a n t s , wh i ch will be part of 

the A f E S G, is now in its design phase. It is 

hoped that such a netwo rk will fa c i l i t ate commu 

n i c ation and ex ch a n ge of info rm ation bet 

ween wildlife agencies and other tech n i c a l 

ex p e rt s , p a rt i c u l a rly with respect to the management 

of small, f ragmented populat i o n s , 

c ro s s - b o rder management issues, and the mitigation 

of human-elephant confl i c t . 

Assistance to Gove rnments with the 

Fo rmu l ation of National Elep h a n t 

M a n agement Plans 

E l ephant Range State gove rnments have reg ul 

a rly been ap p ro a ching the Chair of the A f E S G 

to solicit help in the fo rmu l ation of nat i o n a l 

policies and plans for the conservation and 

m a n agement of elephants. During the past fo u r 

ye a rs ,the AfESG has provided direct tech n i c a l 

a dvice and fa c i l i t ation for planning wo rk s h o p s 

in both Zimbab we and Mozambique. In each 

c a s e, this was done in close collab o ration with 

the re l evant IUCN national or sub-regi o n a l 

p re s e n c e. Further requests to assist with the 

e l ab o ration of elephant management plans 

we re re c e ived by the Chair from the gove rnments 

of Botswana and Ghana in late 1999. 

This is seen as a ve ry good sign and a true ind 

i c ation of the faith placed in the technical 

a dvice of our membership by re l evant gove rnment 

part n e rs . 

The A f rican Elephant Dat abase and 

the Data Rev i ew Task Fo rc e 

The A f rican Elephant Dat abase is constantly 

soliciting and re c e iving survey data fro m 

a round the continent and the exe rcise of producing 

an update is done once eve ry thre e 

ye a rs. The current issue, the AED 1998, wa s 

p u blished at the end of 1999 and includes survey 

data cove ring the period since the last publ 

i c ation in early 1996 up to 31 December 1998. 

N ew data we re obtained for 30 out of 37 ra n ge 

s t ates. Members of the Data Rev i ew Ta s k 

Fo rce (DRT F ) , who control the data input and 

p rovide technical supervision of the A E D, 

spent mu ch of their time during 1999 rev i ewing 

survey data to ensure the accura cy of the 

d ata entries. 

For seve ral countri e s , c o m p re h e n s ive upd 

ates on nu m b e rs have not been possible 

because of political stri fe or total lack of res 

o u rces. For some countri e s , o n ly corre c t i o n s 

to existing estimates we re re c e ive d. In other 

c o u n t ri e s ,u p d ates have only been re c e ived fo r 

a small port i o n , or sub-populat i o n s , for prev io 

u s ly re c o rded populations. Congo Bra z z avi 

l l e, S o m a l i a , S u d a n ,A n go l a , Guinea Bissau, 

L i b e ri a , and Sierra Leone produced no upd 

at e s . 

The AED has allowed some level of continental 

analysis to date and highlighted some of 

the most pressing issues confronting elep h a n t 

c o n s e rvation. Howeve r, the AED is only as 

s t rong as the data it holds. For ex a m p l e, it is 

b e l i eved that the current projection of elep h a n t 

ra n ge is outdated and impre c i s e. Howeve r, t h e 

collection of such data has proven difficult and 

this has resulted in clear limitations in terms of 

the analyses that are possible at the continental 

l evel. It is felt that this situation must be ove rcome 

if the AED is to be of management va l u e 

to the re l evant authorities. 

If the AED is re - financed (we have a deve loped 

a funding proposal curre n t ly under cons 

i d e rat i o n ) , we hope that over the next few 

ye a rs there will be an opportunity to ask more 

meaningful questions of the data. The aim of 

the AED should be to help us understand the 

t rue status of the elephant across their ra n ge 

and to help pri o ritise conservation actions on 

behalf of the species. This will begin by using 

the AED as a central rep o s i t o ry for data curre 

n t ly being collected on human-elephant confl 

i c t ,in addition to its traditional role of stori n g 

i n fo rm ation on nu m b e rs and distri bution. It is 

also hoped that the AED will find synergi e s 

with the new SSC Species Info rm ation System 

but just how this will take place and in wh at 

a reas remains to be seen. 

Species 27

The Human-Elephant Conflict 

Task Fo rc e 

Under the guidance of the A f E S G ’s Human- 

E l ephant Conflict Task Fo rce (HETF) and with 

financial support from WWF Intern at i o n a l ,res 

e a rch into seve ral aspects of human-elep h a n t 

c o n flict was undert a ken between 1997 and 

2000. Among these topics we re : the re l at ive 

i m p o rtance of elephants as a pest species in 

ru ral A f rica; a rev i ew of pro blem elephant policies 

and management options curre n t ly in 

p ractice; an ex a m i n ation of elephant damage in 

fo rest ecosystems; a study to inve s t i gate the 

w i d e ly held belief that there are “ h abitual pro bl 

e m ” animals and the development of a stand 

a rdised protocol (that is GIS compat i ble) fo r 

the study of human-elephant conflict at the site 

l evel. 

A meeting was convened in Ja nu a ry 2000 to 

synthesise the results of this wo rk , p roduce a 

c o m p re h e n s ive rep o rt and plan the next step s 

in the wo rk programme of the HETF. It is ant 

i c i p ated that the AfESG will solicit funds for a 

f u rther phase of this wo rk on one of the most 

i m p o rtant conservation ch a l l e n ges fa c i n g 

A f rican people and the A f rican elep h a n t — t h e 

c o n flict between elephants and humans. 

The AfESG and CITES Mat t e rs 

The AfESG has maintained close and cord i a l 

wo rking re l ations with the CITES Secre t a ri at . 

This collab o ration has perhaps found its most 

outstanding product in the development of the 

A f rican Elephant Range States Dialog u e 

p rocess. During the past four ye a rs ,the A f E S G 

has assisted with the orga n i s at i o n , fa c i l i t at i o n 

and technical prep a ration of three dialog u e 

meetings and a fo u rth is planned for Ap ri l 

2000. This process started under the auspices 

of CITES to bri d ge the deep divisions that had 

evo l ved over the ivo ry trade decisions and to 

build a common understanding of the va ry i n g 

ch a l l e n ges and status of elephants across the 

t h i rt y - s even countries comprising their ra n ge. 

A l s o , fo l l owing the decisions of the COP10 in 

1 9 9 7 , the AfESG Secre t a ri at became active ly 

i nvo l ved in the design and development of an 

i n t e rn ational system to monitor the illega l 

killing of elephants (MIKE) in A f rica and A s i a . 

The purpose of this system is to monitor leve l s 

28 Species 

and trends in illegal killing, m e a s u re ch a n ge s 

in these trends and explain the observe d 

ch a n ges in these trends. The CITES Pa rties are, 

of cours e, most interested in the impact of any 

ch a n ges made in the status of the A f rican elephant 

within CITES. 

For the AfESG this has invo l ved compiling 

of site nominations for the monitoring system, 

the technical development of data pro t o c o l s 

and training mat e rials and active contri bu t i o n 

to the fo rmu l ation of a proposal and costings 

document for ap p roval by the CITES Standing 

C o m m i t t e e. This wo rk , c o - o rd i n ated by the 

AfESG Chair, i nvo l ved significant inputs fro m 

the membership throughout its evolution. In 

Feb ru a ry 1999, the system for MIKE was fo rm 

a l ly ap p roved for full implementation by the 

CITES Standing Committee. It is hoped that 

MIKE will eve n t u a l ly be implemented in 45 

sites across the ra n ge of the A f rican elep h a n t . 

The AfESG was instrumental in assisting 

the CITES Secre t a ri at in establishing the pilot 

phase for MIKE. Of the four sub-regi o n s ,C e nt 

ral A f rica was offi c i a l ly chosen as the sub-region 

for the pilot phase implementation but at 

p resent plans are afoot for pilot phase implem 

e n t ation in both Southern and West A f rica as 

well. Now and in future, it is anticipated that 

m a ny members of the AfESG will be active ly 

i nvo l ved in the technical development of 

MIKE—a monitoring initiat ive that has long 

been needed for the A f rican elephant across its 

ra n ge. 

In the long term , a central co-ord i n ation unit 

to store and eva l u ate data and a technical adv is 

o ry committee will need to be established to 

guide the future development and analysis that 

will come from the MIKE system. 

Pa chy d e rm 

Five issues of Pa chy d e rm (Nos. 23, 2 4 , 2 5 , 2 6 , 

and 27), the A f E S G ’s journ a l , h ave been published 

since 1996. Each issue has cove re d 

m a ny topics of re l evance to the conservation of 

A f rican elep h a n t s , and Asian and A f rican rhin 

o s , i n cluding some excellent contri bu t i o n s 

f rom the membership. Recently, the fo rm at of 

the journal has been revised to allow contri butions 

of diffe rent lengths and technical content 

as well as a section for the simple sharing of

n ews and views about pachy d e rms of all des 

c ription. Th e re has been an increase of the 

p rint run from 900 (for Nos. 23, 2 4 , and 25) to 

1,200 (for Nos. 26 and 27) in response to growing 

enthusiasm both among the members of the 

specialist groups and other interested indiv i d uals 

and institutions. 

The Next Th ree Ye a rs :AfESG 

Inputs to the SSC Strat egic Plan 

The AfESG is like ly to make major contri butions 

to the implementation of the SSC’s new 

S t rat egic Plan over the next triennium. It is 

l i ke ly that the AfESG will provide tangi bl e 

outputs to all four of the pri m a ry objective s 

t h rough its planned activities. While the prim 

a ry role of the Group will pro b ably always be 

to provide sound, i n t e rd i s c i p l i n a ry scientifi c 

i n fo rm ation to info rm decision making and action 

(Objective 1), the Group will also try to 

maintain its focus on conservation action on 

the ground (Objective 2) and the building of 

c apacity to manage the species and all the ch a ll 

e n ges it faces (Objective 3). 

To this end, the AfESG will remain invo 

l ved with assisting ra n ge state gove rn m e n t s 

on the fo rmu l ation and implementation of national 

policies and action plans for the conservation 

and management of elephants. We will 

t ry to improve the quality of input, output and 

a n a lysis provided by the A f rican Elep h a n t 

D at abase to assess the conservation status of 

the species and to provide useful info rm at i o n 

to manage rs and decision make rs. With donor 

s u p p o rt , the AfESG and its sisters gro u p s 

(AfRSG and AsRSG) aim to insure the reg u l a r 

p roduction of Pa chy d e rm for our members and 

other interested Pa rties. The Group is part i c ul 

a rly interested in the development and ap p l ic 

ation of the new Listing Cri t e ria at the 

n ational and regional level. To dat e, the global 

c ri t e ria have presented ve ry real pro blems fo r 

gaining agreement on the listing of the A f ri c a n 

e l ephant—a long-live d, w i d e ly distri bu t e d 

species suffe ring ve ry diffe rent circ u m s t a n c e s 

in diffe rent parts of its ex t e n s ive ra n ge. 

Th rough the wo rk of the A f E S G ’s Human-Elephant 

Conflict Task Fo rc e, in collab o rat i o n 

with management authori t i e s , we hope to cont 

i nue to understand the dynamics of these conflicts 

with a view towa rds mitigation of its 

e ffects on both elephants and people. Lastly, 

we hope to be able to secure and make ava i lable 

financial support to young A f ricans in the 

field of elephant conservation and its re l ated issues 

to further their own pro fessional grow t h 

and cultivate their future care e rs while cont 

ri buting to the long-term surv ival of the 

s p e c i e s . 

F u n d i n g 

The AfESG is lucky to have secured signifi c a n t 

funding for core activities as well as for specialised 

conservation action between 2000 and 

2002. The United States Fish and Wi l d l i fe Service 

extended its past support to the va ri o u s 

c o re activities of the Secre t a ri at with a new 

c o re grant until August 2001. The AED was 

financed by a sep a rate grant from USFWS, 

wh i ch re c e n t ly ex p i red but it is hoped that they 

will consider re - fi n a n c i n g. We are curre n t ly 

seeking funds for a membership meeting to be 

held short ly after the Wo rld Conservation Congress 

in A m m a n n . 

Funding for support to the members h i p 

t h rough the West A f rican Programme Offi c e 

( fo rm e rly the West and Central A f rican PO) 

was ensured by the UK Dep a rtment for 

Tra n s p o rt , the Env i ronment and the Regi o n s 

(DETR) through September 2001. More ove r, 

the European Union came in as a new donor 

and provided funding for a three ye a rs peri o d, 

c ove ring the Secre t a ri at ,p a rtial support to the 

AED and parts of the West and Central A f ri c a 

p rogramme through late 2002. WWF Intern ational 

has in the past three ye a rs released funds 

for high pri o ri t y, s t rat egic or cat a lytic activ i t i e s 

e m e rging at short notice, s u ch as requests fro m 

gove rnments to assist in the planning and development 

of strat egies and elephant management 

plans. 

H o l ly T. Dubl i n , C h a i r 

Species 29

A f rican Rhino Specialist Gro u p 

A Brief Synopsis of A c t ivities 

D u ring 1997–1999 and 

F u t u re Plans 

A f rican rhinos now collective ly number ove r 

11 000 for the fi rst time since 1984, after bl a ck 

rhino nu m b e rs bottomed out at about 2,500 bet 

ween 1992-1995. However the status of the 

n o rt h e rn white rhino and we s t e rn bl a ck rhino 

remain ab s o l u t e ly critical at below 30 and 20 

animals re s p e c t ive ly. 

M e m b e rs of the A f rican Rhino Specialist 

G roup (AfRSG) have contri buted to the deve lopment 

of a number of national plans and 

s t rat egi e s , and the Continental Action Plan has 

been completed and is due for publ i c ation in 

e a rly 2000. Members attended the CITES 

C O P.10 in Zimbab we in 1997 and have been 

i nvo l ved in the ongoing process of deve l o p i n g 

i n d i c at o rs for rhino conservation success; and 

a ve ry successful AfRSG meeting was held in 

Namibia in Ap ril 1998 at wh i ch nu m e rous issues 

we re discussed and strat egies deve l o p e d. 

Good progress is being made with the rhino 

h o rn fi n ge rp rinting pro j e c t ,wh e re horn from as 

m a ny as possible of the key and import a n t 

A f rican rhino populations is being analy s e d. A 

suite of techniques are being assessed to determine 

the most cost-effe c t ive ap p ro a ch for det 

e rmining the source location of horn , wh i ch 

has ap p l i c ation in law enfo rcement and any 

p o s s i ble future legal tra d e : results are ex p e c t e d 

in Ja nu a ry 2000. Another ex t re m e ly ex c i t i n g 

30 Species 

i n i t i at ive is the SADC rhino programme of 

wh i ch the specialist group is a consortium partn 

e r. Led by the SADC Wi l d l i fe Sector Te ch n ical 

Coord i n ation Unit, this Italian funded 

p rogramme will provide considerable support 

for rhino conservation in the southern A f ri c a n 

region over the next three ye a rs . 

While committed to supporting all ra n ge 

s t ates to stabilise their rhino populations and to 

a ch i eve a growth rate of at least 5% per ye a r, 

special attention will be focussed on Camero o n 

and D.R. of Congo wh e re there is a cri t i c a l 

need for surv ival plans to be developed and imp 

l e m e n t e d, and also Tanzania and Ke nya. We 

will also continue to rev i ew and rate rhino pro jects 

for pri o rity status on request from major 

d o n o rs. In May 2000, our largest meeting ye t 

(>50 participants) will be held in Lake Manya 

ra National Pa rk , Tanzania; after wh i ch a 

small specialist team will visit Ngo ro n go ro 

C rater and the Selous Game Reserve at the inv 

i t ation of the Wi l d l i fe Div i s i o n . 

The ge n e rous financial support of the 

AfRSG secre t a ri at and its activities by the 

Wo rld Wide Fund for Nat u re, the Intern at i o n a l 

Rhino Fund, the UK’s Dep a rtment of the Env iro 

n m e n t , the European Commission and the 

US Fish and Wi l d l i fe and State Dep a rtment is 

grat e f u l ly ack n ow l e d ge d. 

M a rtin Bro o k s , C h a i r

Asian Elephant Specialist Gro u p 

The past two or three ye a rs have seen an ups 

u rge of interest globally in the conservation of 

the Asian elephant. Consequently seve ral intern 

ational and national orga n i z ations have set up 

n ew funding mechanisms and field re s e a rch 

and conservation programmes in many of the 

ra n ge states. Much of this interest can be tra c e d 

to the cat a lyst role played by members of the 

Asian Elephant Specialist Group over the previous 

two decades of the gro u p ’s ex i s t e n c e. 

The ch a l l e n ge befo re the specialist group now 

is there fo re to stimu l ate and sustain this cons 

e rvation intere s t , p rovide technical back up 

wh e re needed, and netwo rk with the va ri o u s 

i n t e rn ational and national agencies engaged in 

e l ephant conservation activities. 

D u ring the past two ye a rs the Group has 

p l ayed an important role in helping set up 

some of the new funding mechanisms and providing 

technical advice to CITES. The Chair 

assisted seve ral US-based orga n i z ations to help 

pilot the Asian Elephant Conservation A c t 

t h rough the US Congress during 1998. A f t e r 

subsequent rat i fi c ation of the act by the Senat e 

and the Pre s i d e n t ,the Asian Elephant Conservation 

Fund has been set up and administere d 

by the US Fish and Wi l d l i fe Serv i c e. Curre n tly, 

the ap p ro p ri ations to the fund are ab o u t 

$500,000 annu a l ly. As of May 2000, e i g h t e e n 

p rojects proposed by va rious local, regi o n a l 

and intern ational orga n i z ations have been app 

roved for funding. Another major funding 

m e chanism that has been set up is the W W F ’s 

AREAS (Asian Rhino and Elephant A c t i o n 

S t rat egy) progra m m e. At a December 1998 

meeting in Vi e t n a m , the Chair and Dep u t y 

Chair (Widodo Ramono) along with other 

AsESG members helped identify nine key elephant 

populations across its ra n ge in A s i a 

( t h ree each in South A s i a , continental SE A s i a 

and Malaysia-Indonesia) for funding conservation 

activities. Funding under the AREAS programme 

would run into seve ral million dollars 

over a 3-5 year period and be executed thro u g h 

the national offices of WWF in the ra n ge stat e s . 

The Chair has also pursued more fo c u s s e d 

and modest funding for projects through other 

o rga n i z ations such as Wi l d l i fe Pre s e rvat i o n 

Trust Intern ational and Rotterdam Zoo. Th e 

Asian Elephant Research and Conservat i o n 

C e n t re at Banga l o re, I n d i a , c o n t i nued to provide 

support for AsESG activ i t i e s . 

The AsESG co-sponsored a regional Indo- 

China meeting orga n i zed by the Fauna and 

F l o ra Intern ational at Hanoi, Vi e t n a m , d u ri n g 

December 1998. This meeting not only came 

up with up-to-date info rm ation (however poorly 

known) on the status of elephants in Laos, 

K a m p u chea and Vi e t n a m ,but also helped stimu 

l ate new projects in the region. Much of the 

specialist gro u p ’s attention has also been take n 

up over the past two ye a rs by issues re l ating to 

CITES fo l l owing the June 1997 COP at 

H a ra re, Z i m b ab we. This COP mandated the 

IUCN/SSC Asian and A f rican Elephant Specialist 

Gro u p ’s to provide technical assistance 

in developing a system for monitoring the illegal 

killing of elephants. The specialist gro u p s 

h ave held seve ral dedicated wo rkshops and 

c o n s u l t at ive meetings, j o i n t ly and indiv i d u a l ly, 

as part of developing this system. These include 

a wo rkshop at Nairo b i , Ke nya , d u ri n g 

December 1997 (rep resented by the Chair and 

a member from Th a i l a n d ) ,a wo rkshop at Banga 

l o re, I n d i a , d u ring October 1998 (at t e n d e d 

by 15 members and other ex p e rts) and an 

IUCN orga n i zed meeting at Bangko k , Th a il 

a n d, d u ring October 1999 (rep resented by 

D eputy Chair, Widodo Ramono and seve ral SE 

Asian members ) . 

D eputy Chair, C h a rles Santiap i l l a i , c o n t i nued 

to edit and publish G a j a h, the journal of 

the A s E S G. The publ i c ation now re c e ives a 

boost with new funding from the Asian Elephant 

Conservation Fund. The AsESG is also 

seeking funds to publish an updated ve rsion of 

the Asian Elephant Action Plan with a targe t 

d ate in late 2001 and for holding a full meeting 

of the group prior to the publ i c ation of the 

action plan. New funding from the British gove 

rnment has also become ava i l able for supp 

o rting an office in Ja k a rt a , I n d o n e s i a . 

Raman Sukumar, C h a i r 

Species 31

Asian Rhino Specialist Gro u p 

Triennial Rep o rt 1997-2000 

The AsRSG has continued to be ve ry active 

d u ring the current Tri e n n i u m ,1997-2000. Th e 

revised action plan Asian Rhinos: S t atus Survey 

and Conservation Action Plan, N ew Edit 

i o n was published in 1997. AsRSG has 

c o n t i nued its part n e rship with the Intern at i o n a l 

Rhino Fo u n d at i o n , wh i ch provides fi n a n c i a l 

and administrat ive services to AsRSG under an 

M . O. U. between IUCN and IRF. 

The situation for Asian rhinos continues to 

be critical to pre c a rious. The Indian/Nep a l i 

Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) is in the best 

condition of all the Asian rhinos with ove ra l l 

p o p u l ations still increasing and now at ap p roxi 

m at e ly 2,500 in the wild. Howeve r, gre at 

t h re ats and risks confront the species in both 

India and Nepal and only continu i n g, and indeed 

intensifi e d, a c t i o n , will sustain this success. 

Both the Sumat ran (D i c e ro r h i nu s 

s u m at re n s i s) and Javan (R h i n o c e ros unicorn i s) 

remain two of the most endange red mammal 

species on the planet. Numbers of the Sumat 

ran are about 300 and of the Javan about 70. 

H oweve r, in situ effo rts exe rted under A s R S G 

auspices appear to be stabilizing the status of 

these two species. 

In part i c u l a r, the Global Env i ronment Fa c i lity 

(G. E . F.)/United Nations Development 

P rogramme (UNDP) Project “ C o n s e rvat i o n 

S t rat egy for Rhinoceros Conservation in South 

East Asia—Indonesia and Malay s i a ” i n i t i at e d 

at the end of the last Triennium continu e d 

under AsRSG coord i n ation through December 

1998. Since then, AsRSG in collab o ration with 

I R F, AsRSG has assumed even gre ater fi n a nc 

i a l ,t e ch n i c a l , and administrat ive re s p o n s i b i l ity 

for the Rhino Protection Unit (RPU) 

p rogram established under the GEF pro j e c t . 

Under AsRSG/IRF auspices, ap p rox i m at e ly 30 

RPUs are operating in Indonesia and Malaysia. 

To re i n fo rce the in situ c o n s e rvation effo rt s 

for Sumat ran rhino, AsRSG has been active in 

d evelopment of the managed breeding centers 

in nat ive hab i t at (sanctuaries) for this species in 

Indonesia (The Suaka Rhino Sumat e ra (SRS) 

32 Species 

in Way Kambas National Pa rk ) , Pe n i n s u l a 

M a l aysia (The Sumat ran Rhino Conservat i o n 

C e n t e r — S u n gai Dusun), and Sabah (Sep i l o k 

Rhino Center). These managed breeding cent 

e rs have evo l ved due to the lack of success of 

the traditional cap t ive program wh i ch was init 

i ated for this species under IUCN/SSC auspices 

in 1984. To fa c i l i t ate the manage d 

b reeding progra m , AsRSG has provided auspices 

for two meetings of all manage rs and res 

e a rch e rs invo l ved in Sumat ran rhino under 

i n t e n s ive manage m e n t :one at Sungai Dusun in 

Feb ru a ry 1999 and another at both Way Kambas 

and Sungai Dusun in March 2000. 

Attempts by AsRSG with other part n e rs to 

d evelop a conservation tourism program oriented 

around the Sumat ran rhino sanctuaries as 

a means of ge n e rating significant income for in 

situ rhino conservation has been re t a rded by 

the economic and political pert u r b ations in 

South East Asia. Howeve r, the objective will be 

p u rsued as circumstances perm i t . 

A s R S G, in concert with IRF, has prov i d e d 

t e chnical assistance to: 

• Vietnam for development and implementation 

of their rhino conservation action plan 

• The European Union for the rhino conservation 

component of its Gunung Leuser 

P roject in Sumat ra , I n d o n e s i a . 

• WWF for development of its Asian Rhino 

and Elephant (AREAS) Conservation Strategy. 

• CITES Indicat o rs of Success initiat ive 

under leadership of the IUCN/SSC A f ri c a n 

Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) 

In an endeavor to become more effe c t ive, 

AsRSG has re o rga n i zed during the last Tri e nnium. 

Th e re continues to be a Chair (Mohd 

Khan Momin Khan) as well as two Dep u t y 

C h a i rs : one for South East Asia (Effe n d i 

S u m a rdja) and one for South Asia (S.C. Dey ) . 

M o re re c e n t ly, an Exe c u t ive Committee has 

been fo rmed wh i ch comprises the Chair, 

D eputy Chairs , the two Program Offi c e rs (To m

Foose and Nico van Stri e n ) ,and Principal Repre 

s e n t at ives for the six significant Asian rhino 

ra n ge stat e s :I n d i a , N ep a l , I n d o n e s i a ,Pe n i n s ula 

Malay s i a ,S ab a h , and Vietnam. A dd i t i o n a l ly, 

AsRSG has signifi c a n t ly expanded its memb 

e rship wh i ch has grown to 76 members . 

AsRSG has also adopted a policy of conducting 

only regional rather than plenary meetings. 

The fi rst regional meeting, for South A s i a 

(India and Nepal) was conducted in Kazira n ga 

N ational Pa rk in Feb ru a ry 1999. A regi o n a l 

meeting for South East Asia is intended fo r 

Vietnam in 2000 or 20001. AsRSG re c e ive d 

ge n e rous support from three WWF national orga 

n i z ations for the Kazira n ga meeting: W W F - 

N e t h e rl a n d s ,W W F - U S, and WWF-UK. 

Asian Rhinos, the AsRSG New s l e t t e r, h a s 

resumed publ i c ation after a hiatus of four ye a rs 

with the issue No. 3 being distri buted in March 

2000. Two issues will be published a year in 

M a rch and Sep t e m b e r. L.C. (Kees) Rookm 

a a ker has been added as a third editor to assist 

Nico van Strien and Tom Fo o s e. A 

C h a i rm a n ’s Rep o rt has been published reg u l a rly 

in each issue of Pa chy d e rm. AsRSG also has 

a web p age on the IRF website at : h t t p : / / w w w. 

r h i n o s - i r f. o rg 

Pa rt n e rships are crucial to A s R S G. In the 

last Tri e n n i u m ,AsRSG has developed part n e rships 

with: 

• Two IRF members and donors have become 

major part n e rs in the AsRSG/IRF progra m s 

in South East A s i a : The Howa rd Gilman 

Fo u n d at i o n / White Oak Conservation center 

and the Disney Wi l d l i fe Conservat i o n 

Awa rd s . 

• WWF-Indonesia Programme for fi n a n c i a l 

and technical support of the RPUs there 

• The U. S. Fish & Wi l d l i fe Service and 

its Rhino and Ti ger Conservation Fund 

( RTCF). AsRSG Program Offi c e rs have 

s e rved as rev i ewe rs for many of the pro p o sals 

submitted to the RT C F. More ove r, 

AsRSG in collab o ration with IRF, has rec 

e ived and executed ten grants from the 

RT C F. 

• Anna Merz Tru s t 

• S O S - R h i n o 

• A f R S G 

O ve ra l l ,AsRSG in concert with IRF has rec 

ruited over US $3 million for Asian rhino cons 

e rvation during the Triennium. 

Fi n a l ly, AsRSG has fo rmed a Red List Aut 

h o rity as requested by the SSC Chair. Nico 

van Strien is the focal pers o n . 

Among objectives for the next tri e n n i u m 

a re : 

• To ach i eve some re c ove ry of Sumat ran and 

Javan rhino populat i o n s , l a rge ly thro u g h 

success of the RPU progra m s ; 

• To succeed in rep roducing Sumat ran rhino 

under managed conditions; 

• To provide more assistance to rhino conservation 

effo rts in India and Nep a l ; 

• To initiate the conservation tourism program 

to ge n e rate funds for in situ rhino cons 

e rvation in South East A s i a ; 

• To establish a sanctuary for Javan rhino in 

Ujung Ku l o n . 

Mohd Khan bin Momin Khan, C h a i r 

S.C. Dey and Effe n dy Sumard j a , 

D eputy Chairs 

Tom Foose and Nico van Stri e n , 

P rogram Offi c e rs 

Species 33

Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Gro u p 

Most of the last triennium has been spent completing 

the Action Plan and a field guide to the 

skulls and horns of the wild bovines of A s i a . 

AWCSG members have also conducted fi e l dwo 

rk in a number of wild cattle and bu ffa l o 

ra n ge states including Indonesian Born e o , 

wh e re Simon Hedges and Erik Meijaard conducted 

surveys for Banteng and trained Indonesian 

nationals in wild cattle survey 

t e chniques as part of a WWF project. In Th a il 

a n d, Sompoad Sri ko s a m at a ra and his students 

h ave continued to carry out re s e a rch on the 

e c o l ogy and behaviour of Gaur and Banteng. 

While in Vi e t n a m ,Will Duck wo rth carried out 

s u rveys in Dak Lak Province with seve ral Vi e tnamese 

colleauges. Hedges and Duck wo rt h 

b egan a survey for Ko u p rey and other large 

mammals in Cambodia in 1997, but unfo rt un 

at e ly the survey had to be abandoned because 

of concerns about securi t y. Howeve r, t h e 

G roup has provided advice and info rm ation to 

s eve ral subsequent survey teams wo rking in 

Cambodia. And in early 1999, M a rtin Ty s o n 

and Simon Hedges completed the fi e l dwo rk 

phase of an 8-ye a r-long project looking at the 

e c o l ogy and behaviour of Banteng, fe ral A s i a n 

B u ffa l o , and their pre d at o rs (including people) 

in East Java , I n d o n e s i a . 

The Group also continued to campaign fo r 

the addition of Banteng to CITES Appendix I. 

The pressing need for gre ater protection fo r 

Banteng was highlighted in Tra cking Ti ge rs :A 

R ev i ew of the Status of Ti ge r, Asian Elep h a n t , 

Gaur and Banteng in Vi e t n a m ,L a o , C a m b o d i a 

and Yunnan (China), with Recommendat i o n s 

for Future Conservation Action by Will Duckwo 

rth and Simon Hedges. This 1998 rep o rt 

( wh i ch is ava i l able from the WWF Indoch i n a 

P rogram) collates all info rm ation about the status 

of Gaur and Banteng in Indochina for the 

p e riod 1988-1997. 

Other activities have included a we e k - l o n g 

i n t e ra c t ive fe at u re about wild yak on Discove ry 

Channel Online, d u ring wh i ch the AWCSG answe 

red the publ i c ’s questions about this 

species. And we have contri buted a short ch apter 

about fe ral animal populations to the FAO ’s 

34 Species 

Wo rld Wat ch List for Domestic Animal Dive rs 

i t y. The Group has also provided support for a 

l a rge new protected area in East Kalimantan 

(Indonesian Born e o ) , wh i ch was proposed by 

W W F - I n d o n e s i a , and provided data on the 

anoas for a rev i ew of conservation pri o rities in 

Wallacea. And because ve ry similar survey 

t e chniques are employed for wild bovines and 

e l ep h a n t s , AWCSG members have been invo 

l ved in the discussions about the best survey 

methods for use in the CITES/IUCN/TRAF- 

FIC Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elep h a n t s 

(MIKE) pro j e c t . 

Sompoad Sri ko s a m at a ra has resigned as cochair 

because of his heavy commitments at 

Mahidol Unive rsity and his ongoing re s e a rch 

p rogram. We wish to thank Sompoad for his 

e ffo rts and input over the past ye a rs . 

Plans For the Next Tri e n n i u m 

The immediate future will see the publ i c at i o n 

of Asian Wild Cattle and Buffa l o e s : S t atus Rep 

o rt and Conservation Action Plan. And we 

hope that the Action Plan will become ava i lable 

on the Wo rld Wide Web as part of the new 

IUCN Digital Libra ry. Other key goals for the 

AWCSG over the next triennium include inc 

reasing the number of active AWCSG memb 

e rs , as well as the number of AW C S G 

m e m b e rs who are nationals of the wild cat t l e 

and bu ffalo ra n ge states. We also intend to appoint 

a number of Regional Coord i n at o rs. Th i s 

s t rengthening and re o rga n i z ation will help us 

to implement the Action Plan and provide info 

rm ation and advice more effi c i e n t ly. 

The Group will also increase its effo rts to 

d raw wider attention to the status of wild 

b ov i n e s , e s p e c i a l ly those living in Indoch i n a 

and on Sulawesi and the Philippines wh e re 

s eve ral species are cri t i c a l ly endange re d. A s 

p a rt of these effo rts we will continue to pre s s 

for the addition of Banteng to CITES Ap p e ndix 

I. In addition we will continue the Gro u p ’s 

m o n i t o ring of the conservation status of wild 

c attle and bu ffalo populat i o n s . 

Simon Hedge s , C o - ch a i r 

E - m a i l :s i m o n _ h e d ge s @ h o t m a i l . c o m

Bison Specialist Group 

The Bison Specialist Group had some orga n is 

ational tro u bles with appointing deputy ch a i rs 

for the current tri e n n i u m ,1997-2000. This wa s 

ve ry important as the subgroups for Nort h 

A m e rican and European bison are wo rk i n g 

s ep a rat e ly and face rather diffe rent pro bl e m s . 

At this moment three deputy ch a i rs are appointed 

on vo l u n t a ri ly way : for North A m e rican 

subgro u p — C u rtis Stro b e ck (of A l b e rt a ) , 

who replaced Mary Meagher (of Ye l l ow s t o n e 

N ational Pa rk) acting at this position for re l at 

ive ly short time (1996-1998); for Euro p e — 

Wanda Olech (Wa rs aw); and for Russia and the 

other fo rmer USSR countries—I. P. Belousova 

(Danki) appointed as late as in 1999. The lat e 

C. G. van Zyll de Jong ch a i red North A m e ri c a n 

bison subgroup from its ve ry beginning in 

1986 until 1996, and prep a red a draft ch ap t e r 

“Action Plan for North A m e rican Bison Cons 

e rvation”. This is intended to be published by 

IUCN together with the similar document fo r 

E u ropean bison. Another death has been rep 

o rt e d. Michail A. Zabl o ck i ,h o n o ra ry member 

of the Gro u p , died on May 2, 1996. He wa s 

leading authority in Soviet Union in Euro p e a n 

bison breeding and conservation and for many 

ye a rs (1949-1983) the Head of Central Euro- 

pean Bison Pre s e rve in Pri o k s ko - Te rra s ny i 

B i o s p h e re Reserve (Danki, near Moscow ) . 

The main goal of the Gro u p , to develop an 

Action Plan for European bison, has progressed 

and the Action Plan will be fi n i s h e d 

soon. A few meetings of smaller groups of exp 

e rts have been organised to discuss diffe re n t 

s t ages of advancement of this project (e. g. in 

S a n t i ago de Compostella, d u ring Euro - A m e rican 

Mammal Congre s s , Ju ly 1998, some in 

B i a l ow i e z a ,Po l a n d, in 1999). The project is rec 

e n t ly supported by W W F, t h rough LHI (Large 

H e r b ivo re Initiat ive for Euro p e ) . 

E u ropean members of the Group serve as 

a dv i s e rs to the decision-make rs and manage rs 

re s p o n s i ble for European bison breeding and 

m a n agement in particular countries. Th ey join 

special gove rnmental commissions or committ 

e e s ,e s p e c i a l ly in Belaru s , Po l a n d, and Russia, 

wo rking on strat egies of European bison cons 

e rvation in those countries. 

P rogress was made in re - i n t roduction of European 

bison in Belaru s , wh e re four new herd s 

h ave been founded during last ye a rs. This programme 

has been developed within the fra m ewo 

rk of the “ N ational Strat egy and Action Plan 

for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Bio- 

Species 35

l ogical Biodive rsity of the Rep u blic of Bel 

a ru s .” The total number of European bison in 

B e l a rus at the end of 1998 grew up to ca 400 

i n d iv i d u a l s ,and from three to six fre e - ra n gi n g 

h e rds. This is ve ry important activity as Bel 

a ru s , l i ke Po l a n d, owns European bison of 

l owland genetical line, i . e. pure descendants of 

Bison bonansus bonasus. 

Final draft of “ E u ropean bison conservat i o n 

s t rat egy in Russia” is re a dy and waiting for acc 

eptance (May, 2000). The main goal of this 

s t rat egy is the fo u n d ation of a large (up to 

1,000 individuals) free ra n ging populations 

of European bison: one in central Russia 

( O rl ov s koe Po l e s ’ e ) ,and a second in Nort h e rn 

E u ropean region of Russia (Vo l ogda). This is 

ve ry promising pro j e c t ,s u p p o rted by W W F, a s 

c u rre n t ly larger herds do not exist in the re c o ns 

t ructed ra n ge of European bison. Most of the 

existing herds are isolated from each other, s o 

the migration and ex ch a n ge of genes is not 

p o s s i bl e. Th e re are twe l ve free ra n ging herds in 

R u s s i a , but the total number of animals is dec 

reasing due to insufficient financial support . 

The situation of herds in Caucasus is also unclear 

due to wa r. 

I nve s t i gations are re c e n t ly ocurring (under 

WWF project) to cre ate a similar larger popul 

ation in Eastern Carp at h i a n s ,on the border of 

Po l a n d, U k ra i n e, and Slovakia. It is possibly 

the only place—ex c ept Bialowieza Fo re s t — fo r 

the cre ation of a larger free living population of 

E u ropean bison in Eastern Euro p e. This regi o n 

could be within migration distance of the south 

U k rainian herd in Bukovina and the planned 

one in Roumania. Except this, little info rm ation 

is ava i l able about European bison bre e ding 

and conservation in Ukra i n e. 

On the initiat ive of the Ve t e ri n a ry Fa c u l t y, 

(and pers o n a l ly of the Dean of the Fa c u l t y — 

Jerzy Kita), Wa rs aw A gri c u l t u ral Unive rs i t y 

( Po l a n d ) ,the “ I n t e rn ational Scientific Confe rence 

on Health Protection of Fre e - ra n gi n g 

Bison bonasus in Bialowieza Fo re s t ” was held 

in Wa rs aw in November 1999. At the confe rence 

authors from Beloru s i a , G e rm a ny, 

Po l a n d, and Russia presented 15 commu n i c ations. 

Th ey cove red pro blems of genetic va riability 

and viability in cap t ive gro u p s , i n 

l owland European bison, and genotyping mitoch 

o n d rial D-loop DNA and micro s atelite se- 

36 Species 

quences. Th re ats to European bison in 

B i a l owieza and mortality rates in two diffe re n t 

h e rds in Poland and Belorussia we re discussed 

as well as ectoparasites and helminth fauna in 

d i ffe rent fo rest hab i t ats. Specificity of European 

bison metabolism was underlined in the 

light of long-lasting phy s i o l ogical studies. On 

this back gro u n d, p ro blems of immu n o p ro p hylaxis 

of European bison diseases we re pre s e n te 

d, cases of ep i d i d i mys cy s t s , and ethiology 

and pat h ogenesis of necrotic balanopostitis. 

D u ring the discussion the participants und 

e rlined that Bison bonasus is a re s t i t u t e d 

s p e c i e s , o ri gi n ating from 12 founder animals, 

and the pure lowland line (Bison bonansus 

b o n a s u s) from only seven animals. The European 

Bison Pe d i gree Book (EBPB) prov i d e s 

p roof of this. The results of molecular re s e a rch 

on mitoch o n d rial DNA , as well as earlier elect 

ro p h o retic studies, has indicated low ge n e t i c 

va ri ation and high inbreeding ratio of European 

bison in ge n e ra l , and especially in the 

B i a l owieza population. Pa rticipants there fo re 

p roposed that info rm ation about health ri s k 

due to low genetic va ri ation are included in the 

E B P B. High-inbred rate may adve rs e ly infl uence 

the non-specific immunity (re s i s t a n c e ) 

and contri bute to development of disord e rs 

s u ch as ep i d i dymis cy s t s . 

N ew data we re presented on ethiology of 

b a l a n o p o s t i t i s , p a rt i c u l a rly on the role of F us 

o b a c t e rium necro fo ru m ,C o ry n eb a c t e ri u ms p . 

The disease is infectious and causes lesions in 

male bison, h owever it is not sex u a l ly tra n sm 

i t t e d. This paper included some assumptions 

c o n c e rning the possible reasons of the occurrence 

of balenopostistis in the Bialowieza Fo rest 

herd. As no single etiological agent has 

been fo u n d, it is pro b ably that the pri m a ry 

cause of lesions could be mechanical damage 

caused by blood suckling insects. The role of 

flies in the pat h ogenesis is not cl e a r. It was suggested 

that low genetic va ri ation and env i ro nmental 

fa c t o rs should be considered in the 

p at h ogenesis of balanopostitis. . 

I n t e rn ational funding is re q u i red to support 

an intern ational collab o ration project on protection 

of European bison. 

Z d z i s l aw Pucek, C h a i r

C at Specialist Gro u p 

The cats are a major conservation pro blem. A s 

the most powerful and dedicated carn ivo re s 

their nat u ral and necessary hunt for meat leads 

to conflict with human interests wh e rever the 

t wo live in close prox i m i t y. Th at is incre a s i n gly 

the case because of the conve rsion of wild 

h ab i t at to human use. The big cats may be adm 

i red for their beauty and powe r, but they are 

also fe a red and persecuted wh e rever there is 

l ive s t o ck. Their future is thre at e n e d. Th e re fo re, 

a major focus of the Cat Specialist Group is on 

finding ways to mitigate the situation with 

re c o m m e n d ations for better management of 

l ive s t o ck , c o m p e n s ation for lost stock , a n d 

e l i m i n ation of dedicated live s t o ck killers in 

o rder to promote co-existence of humans and 

big cat s . 

S eve ral of the big cats have tra d i t i o n a l ly 

been the source of products used for medicine, 

wh i ch puts additional pre s s u re on them. This is 

p a rt i c u l a rly the case of the tige r, wh i ch is 

thought to have declined in number by 95% in 

the past century. Much of the decline has been 

due to loss of hab i t at to human use, but with 

o n ly 5,000-7,000 surv iving in seve re ly fragmented 

populations in 14 countri e s , p o a ch i n g 

for medicinal products and illegal killing because 

of live s t o ck pre d ation is pushing the 

species towa rds early ex t i n c t i o n . 

The 1997-2000 triennium saw two of the 

b i ggest meetings ever of tiger scientists and 

c o n s e rvationists. The fi rst was sponsored by 

the Zoological Society of London and it wa s 

fo l l owed a year later by a gat h e ring sponsore d 

by the Exxon Save the Ti ger Fund in Dallas, 

Texas. The fi rst meeting rev i ewed the ach i evements 

of scientific studies of the tiger and 

c o n s e rvation effo rts. The proceedings we re 

p u blished by Cambri d ge Unive rsity Pre s s 

( M ay 1999) as “Riding the Ti ge r : Ti ger cons 

e rvation in human-dominated landscap e s ,” 

edited by John Seidensticke r, US Nat i o n a l 

Z o o , S a rah Chri s t i e, London Zoo, and Pe t e r 

Ja ck s o n , all Cat Specialist Group members . 

The Dallas meeting brought together ove r 

130 scientists, w i l d l i fe manage rs and funders 

for a set of wo rkshops at wh i ch va rious issues 

in tiger conservation we re deb at e d, s u ch as res 

e a rch and monitori n g, l a n d s c ape planning and 

m a n age m e n t , c o u n t ry and intern ational issues, 

local issues and tige r-human confl i c t , t i ge rs 

and traditional Asian medicine, and fi n a n c i a l 

s u p p o rt and netwo rk i n g. The proceedings will 

be published in the course of 2000. 

The A mur (Siberian) tiger and the A mu r 

l e o p a rd we re the subject of special meetings in 

the Russian Far East. Russian and A m e ri c a n 

scientists (members of the Cat Specialist 

G ro u p ) ,we re joined by gove rnment officials to 

wo rk on conservation programmes and to discuss 

them with major funders. The A mur tige r, 

with a mat u re population of about 350, m ay 

well have better prospects than tige rs in other 

ra n ge countries because there is almost no 

f rag m e n t at i o n , but poaching for skins and 

medical pro d u c t s , i l l egal killing by live s t o ck 

ow n e rs and hab i t at degra d ation remain seri o u s 

t h re ats. Howeve r, the A mur leopard is down to 

no more than 50 indiv i d u a l s , m o s t ly near the 

Russian border with China. The Russian and 

A m e rican re s e a rch e rs have visited China and 

N o rth Ko rea to collab o rate with specialists 

t h e re to establish the status of tige rs , l e o p a rd s 

and their prey. 

C at Specialist Group members we re leading 

p a rticipants in a wo rkshop to assess progress in 

t i ger science and conservation organised by the 

Wi l d l i fe Conservation Society (New Yo rk Zoo 

l ogical Society) 

While attention has focussed on the tige r, 

t h e re has long been virtual complacency ab o u t 

the highly visible lion in sub-Saharan A f ri c a n . 

While rough estimates of tiger nu m b e rs ex i s t , 

no ove rall estimate has been ach i eved for the 

lion. Rep o rts from most countries of lions 

killed for live s t o ck pre d ation—or fear of it— 

a re common, and tro p hy hunting is legal and 

not well contro l l e d. Concern that the lion 

might drift towa rds the dange rous status of the 

t i ger fi n a l ly brought about a meeting in October 

1999 and the fo rm ation of an A f rican Lion 

Wo rking Group to survey the national and 

ove rall status of the species and conservat i o n 

p ro blems. Th i rty lion specialists, most of them 

Species 37

a c t ive on field pro j e c t s , h ave joined the gro u p , 

wh i ch has a secre t a ri at based in Bloemfo n t e i n , 

South A f rica. A newsletter has been launch e d 

to fa c i l i t ate commu n i c ation between specialists 

and others interested in the A f rican lion. A s 

a collab o rat ive project of the Cat and Conservation 

Breeding Specialist Gro u p s , the aim is 

to prep a re for a wo rkshop on the wo rrying status 

of lions in west and central A f rica in lat e 

2 0 0 0 ,fo l l owe d, in 2003, by a major confe re n c e 

on the lion throughout sub-Saharan A f ri c a . 

In March 1999, the Wi l d l i fe Conservat i o n 

Society called together jaguar specialists fro m 

c e n t ral and South A f ri c a , i n cluding Cat Specialist 

Group members , for a landmark confe rence 

to rev i ew the poorly known status of the 

l a rgest A m e rican cat , and set in motion stat u s 

s u rveys and conservation measure s . 

The Intern ational Snow Leopard Tru s t , a n 

IUCN member cl o s e ly associated with the Cat 

Specialist Gro u p , has been ex t re m e ly active in 

the high mountain areas of Asia re s e a rch i n g 

the status of the ch a ri s m atic cat and wo rk i n g 

with local people in Ti b e t , M o n go l i a ,B h u t a n , 

Pakistan and India on measures to mitigat e 

l ive s t o ck pre d ation pro bl e m s . 

The initiat ive of an Iranian biologist who ret 

u rned to his country in 1997 after nearly 20 

ye a rs absence led to Cat Specialist Group coll 

ab o ration with the gove rnment to conserve the 

last A s i atic ch e e t a h s ,e s t i m ated by the biologi s t 

to number no more than 50-100. With adv i c e 

f rom IUCN consultants, i n cluding the Cat Specialist 

Group Chairm a n , the gove rnment has 

applied for a two - year project grant from the 

Global Env i ronment Fund to promote ch e e t a h 

c o n s e rvation with the collab o ration of local 

c o m mu n i t i e s . 

In Namibia, with the largest A f rican ch e e t a h 

p o p u l at i o n ,95% of it on fa rm l a n d s ,the Cheetah 

Conservation Fund as been wo rking with 

fa rm e rs through the past decade on methods to 

reduce pre d ation and conserve the wo rl d ’s 

fastest land mammal. 

R e s e a rch for the Cat Action Plan (Nowe l l 

and Ja ckson 1996) showed how little is know n 

about the lesser cat s , even the extent of the 

ra n ge of some of them. Their secre t ive hab i t s 

and small size makes study ve ry diffi c u l t . 

H oweve r, p u bl i c ation of the action plan, w i t h 

its list of pri o rity pro j e c t s , has promoted res 

e a rch on a growing number of these species. 

38 Species 

In South A m e ri c a , s eve ral teams have been 

wo rking on the ko d kok O n c i felis guigna i n 

s o u t h e rn Chile and A rgentina and pro d u c e d 

va l u able rep o rts. The my s t e rious A n d e a n 

mountain cat (O re a i l u rus jacobita) had only 

been photographed twice (during the l980s) 

until an expedition to Sala de Suri re Nat i o n a l 

Pa rk in nort h e rn Chile by a Cat Specialist 

G roup member obtained 70 photos and video 

of a cat hunting viscachas (L agidium viscacia) 

among the ro cks behind the houses of a fo rm e r 

mining colony. 

R e s e a rch e rs from A rge n t i n a ,B o l iv i a ,C h i l e 

and Spain met at a wo rkshop in A rgentina and 

fo rmed an Andean Cat Conservation Committ 

e e, a ffi l i ated to the Cat Specialist Group. 

In Sumat ra , i n f ra - red ray tri gge red camera s 

sited along tiger tra i l s , h ave confi rmed the 

p resence of clouded leopard, m a r bled cat , fi s hing 

cat , fl at-headed cat , golden cat and leopard 

c at in Way Kambas National Pa rk. These came 

ra traps have enabled Indonesian, B ritish and 

A m e rican re s e a rch e rs wo rking with the Sumat 

ran Ti ger Project to identify nearly 40 indiv i dual 

tige rs from their stripe pat t e rns in an are a 

wh e re tige rs have ve ry seldom been and the 

p o p u l ation was thought to be mu ch smaller. 

Similar ap p a ratus has been used successfully 

in Ke rinci Sebl at , S u m at ra ,va rious re s e rves in 

Th a i l a n d, and in India. 

In Th a i l a n d ’s Khao Yai National Pa rk , a Cat 

Specialist Group member not only phot 

ographed clouded leopard, but ra d i o - c o l l a re d 

a male and a fe m a l e, a l l owing the fi rst ecological 

re s e a rch on this deep fo rest cat . 

While members usually find their ow n 

f u n d i n g, some have re c e ived support thro u g h 

the Cat Action Tre a s u ry, a private initiat ive in 

the USA by the Vice-Chair (Pro j e c t s ) , K ri s t i n 

N owell. Among those who have contri bu t e d 

funds via CAT are the Barbara Delano Fo u nd 

at i o n , B o s a ck and Kru ger Fo u n d at i o n ,C o u ncil 

of A gri c u l t u re of Ta i wa n , Exxon Save the 

Ti ger Fund, C h i c ago Zoological Society, I n t e rn 

ational Snow Leopard Tru s t , B eyond Extinct 

i o n — E n d a n ge red Cat Fo u n d at i o n , a n d 

S i eg f ried and Roy. 

Wild Cat s : S t atus Survey and Conservat i o n 

Action Plan, edited by Kristin Nowell and 

Peter Ja ck s o n ,( I U C N, Gland 1996), with cont 

ri butions from around 200 intern ational spec 

i a l i s t s , has been a considerable success, a n d

has become a standard wo rk of re fe re n c e. Ove r 

3,000 copies have been distri bu t e d, and sales 

h ave ge n e rated useful income for the operations 

of the group. A private donation prov i d e d 

for the heavy mailing costs of this we i g h t y 

p u bl i c ation to institutions and individual specialists 

in the Th i rd Wo rl d. 

Most of the text of Wild Cats is now ava i lable 

on our website (http://ly n x . u i o . n o 

/ c at fo l k ) ,wh i ch is hosted by the Unive rsity of 

Oslo and managed by volunteer Nancy Sipos 

in To ronto. Many re s e a rch e rs are using the site, 

wh i ch has re c e ived high pra i s e. 

The Cat Specialist Group biannual new s l e tt 

e r, C at New s , is now re a ching its 16th year of 

p u bl i c ation and the 31st issue was mailed in 

l ate 1999, nu m b e ring 40 pages. Circ u l ated to 

all members of the gro u p , it is also ava i l able to 

a nyone interested in wild cats for a small annual 

donation. 

C at Specialist Group members are affi l i at e d 

to leading conservation and re s e a rch orga n i s at 

i o n s , i n cluding the Cheetah Conservat i o n 

F u n d, B razilian Centre for Pre d ator Research , 

H o rn o cker Wi l d l i fe Institute, I n t e rn at i o n a l 

S n ow Leopard Tru s t , KORA Swiss Carn ivo re 

P ro j e c t , N o r wegian Institute for Nat u re Res 

e a rch ,P roject Ti ger (India), Russian A c a d e my 

of Sciences, Wi l d l i fe Conservation Society, 

and Wi l d l i fe Institute of India. 

The Chair is deep ly grateful to WWF fo r 

s u p p o rting his wo rk for the past 16 ye a rs , a s 

well as funding the publ i c ation of Wild Cat s . 

C at Specialist Group 

Wo rk Plan 2000–2003 

In the IUCN Triennium 2000-2003 the Cat 

Specialist Group will continue to promote res 

e a rch and measures for conservation of the 36 

species of wild cats. Members are leaders in 

these fields and the Cat Specialist Group will 

p rovide moral support for them and their orga 

n i s ations in their wo rk . 

The tiger (Pa n t h e ra tigri s) will remain a 

high pri o rity because of the grave thre ats to its 

f u t u re arising from poaching for its bones fo r 

t raditional Asian medicines, killing in reve n ge 

for live s t o ck at t a ck s , p o a ching of its main prey 

species (deer and wild boar), and continu e d 

loss and degra d ation of hab i t at. Cat Specialist 

G roup members are providing the data essential 

to conservation planning by gove rn m e n t s . 

M e m b e rs will also continue their wo rk comb 

atting poaching and the illegal trade in tige r 

p a rts and other wildlife pro d u c t s . 

As a result of concern about the status of the 

lion (P. leo) in A f ri c a , a Lion Wo rking Gro u p 

has been established with a draft programme to 

obtain data on lions in the ra n ge countri e s ,w i t h 

p ri o rity for west and central A f ri c a , wh e re the 

s i t u ation is thought to be serious. In cooperation 

with the Conservation Breeding Specialist 

G roup a wo rkshop is planned for late 2000 on 

west and central A f ri c a , fo l l owed in 2003 by a 

major confe re n c e / wo rkshop on lions thro u g hout 

A f rica. It is hoped to obtain the large funding 

re q u i red from orga n i s ations associated in 

the public mind with lions, s u ch as Disney 

( The Lion King) and MGM (Lion logo). Th e 

o b j e c t ive is to ensure that the lion does not decline 

to the grave status of the tige r, for wh i ch 

c o n s e rvation measures began only when the 

s i t u ation was alre a dy cri t i c a l . 

In Spain and Po rt u ga l , e ffo rts will be re i nfo 

rced to save the Iberian lynx (Lynx pard i nu s) , 

wh i ch is the most endange red of all the wild 

c at s ,with recent estimates of no more than 600 

in a heav i ly fragmented populat i o n . 

C o n flict between large cats and human int 

e re s t s ,p a rt i c u l a rly pre d ation on live s t o ck , is a 

major impediment to conservation. Mitigat i o n 

i nvo l ves wo rking cl o s e ly with live s t o ck ow n e rs 

and local people whose interests are thre ate 

n e d. This invo l ves testing methods of 

c o m p e n s ation for losses, and encouraging 

i m p roved live s t o ck husbandry. Cat SG memb 

e rs are wo rking in India, B ra z i l , Ve n e z u e l a , 

S w i t ze rl a n d, France and Norway, wh e re pre d ation 

is an important political issue. 

P u bl i c ation of C at New s will continue on a 

b i - a n nual basis. 

The Chair’s office will continue to be a 

s o u rce of info rm ation and advice for anyo n e 

wo rking in wild cat re s e a rch and conservat i o n , 

and for the media. 

Peter Ja ck s o n ,C h a i r 

Species 39

Cetacean Specialist Gro u p 

O ver the last three ye a rs ,the Cetacean Specialist 

Group (CSG) has undergone seve ral important 

ch a n ge s , b eginning with a shift in 

l e a d e rship consequent to the death of Steve 

L e at h e r wo o d, the gro u p ’s chair from 1990- 

1997. Randall Reeves (Canada) had assumed 

i n c reasing responsibilities as co-chair fro m 

e a rly in 1996 when Leat h e r wood became ill. 

Soon after his death in Ja nu a ry 1997, G i u s ep p e 

N o t a r b a rtolo di Sciara (Italy) was ap p o i n t e d 

d eputy ch a i r, and two regional coord i n at o rs 

we re ap p o i n t e d — B rian Smith in Asia (based 

i n i t i a l ly in Nep a l , m o re re c e n t ly in Th a i l a n d ) 

and Enrique Crespo in South A m e rica (based 

in A rge n t i n a ) . 

Tra d i t i o n a l ly, the CSG has focused its energies 

on the smaller cetacean species that are 

not subject to conservation management by the 

I n t e rn ational Whaling Commission (IWC). 

M o re ove r, it has re c og n i zed that gove rn m e n t s , 

N G O s , and re s e a rch institutions in Nort h 

A m e ri c a ,E u ro p e, and parts of Oceania are inclined 

and re l at ive ly well equipped to add re s s 

cetacean conservation issues, while their count 

e rp a rts in A s i a , A f ri c a , and Latin A m e ri c a 

40 Species 

often re q u i re intern ational technical and fi n a ncial 

assistance. The logic of this bias towa rd the 

p ro blems of small cetaceans in less deve l o p e d 

c o u n t ries still holds, but in recent ye a rs the 

CSG has had to devote more and more at t e ntion 

to administrat ive demands re l ated to the 

IUCN bu re a u c ra cy. 

Since the mid-1990s, the CSG has found itself 

in the position of having to increase its capacity 

to deal with Red List and CITES issues. 

The Red List cri t e ria and ongoing deve l o p m e n t 

of the SSC Red List Program have re q u i red all 

t a x o n - o riented specialist groups to engage in a 

mu ch more ri go rous and sustained process of 

identifying species, s u b s p e c i e s ,and ge ograp h ical 

populations; eva l u ating the conservat i o n 

s t atus of these management units; and deve l o ping 

documentation for listings. Th e re are nomi 

n a l ly more than 80 species of cetaceans, bu t 

m a ny, if not most, of these occur as ge ograp h ic 

a l ly, d e m ograp h i c a l ly, or ge n e t i c a l ly sep a rat e 

p o p u l ations. Genera l ly speaking, the closer scientists 

look for sub-specific population stru ct 

u re, the more of it they fi n d. This inva ri ably 

c re ates a need for more ex t e n s ive consultat i o n s 

among specialists and for better, and analy t i c a lly 

more sophisticat e d, d o c u m e n t at i o n .

The CSG has also been fo rced to play a 

mu ch more active role in CITES than was tru e 

in the past. The IWC’s morat o rium on comm 

e rcial wh a l i n g, and its slowness to deve l o p 

and adopt a ri s k - ave rse scheme for the management 

of resumed wh a l i n g, h ave led Jap a n 

and Norway to seek to shift the whaling deb at e 

away from the IWC and into the CITES fo ru m . 

Th ey proposed in 1997 that seve ral wh a l e 

s t o cks should be down-listed from Appendix I 

to Appendix II. When these proposals we re defe 

ated at the 10th Confe rence of the Pa rt i e s 

( H a ra re ) ,N o r way and Japan we re hars h ly cri tical 

of IUCN’s ro l e. It thus became clear that 

the CSG would need to engage more intens 

ive ly and systemat i c a l ly in its rev i ew of any 

f u t u re CITES down-listing pro p o s a l s . 

In order to add ress these expanding re s p o ns 

i b i l i t i e s , a CITES/Red List Subgroup of the 

CSG was cre ated under the ch a i rmanship of 

B a r b a ra Taylor (USA) in 1998. It is hoped that , 

over time, m e m b e rs of this subgroup will become 

conve rsant with the Red List cri t e ria and 

with the intricacies and nuances of CITES, a n d 

t h e re fo re that they will be able to shoulder 

mu ch of the CSG’s responsibility for deve l o ping 

Red List documentation and providing advice 

to CITES. 

D u ring the past three ye a rs , the CSG has 

helped launch two important initiat ives in the 

fi e l d, one in West A f rica with support from the 

C h i c ago Zoological Society (CZS) and the 

other in Southeast Asia with support from the 

C o nvention on Migrat o ry Species (CMS) and 

the Ocean Pa rk Conservation Fo u n d at i o n 

(OPCF). Koen Van Wa e rebeek (Belgi u m / Pe ru ) 

re c e ived a small CZS grant to supplement supp 

o rt from the Leopold III Fonds voor Nat uu 

ro n d e r zoek en -behoud, a l l owing him to 

expand his ongoing wo rk in Senegal and Th e 

Gambia into the Gulf of Guinea. In 1998, Va n 

Wa e rebeek carried out an ex p l o rat o ry survey 

along the coast of Ghana and found that 

cetaceans we re being landed and sold reg u l a rly 

at fish markets there. These observat i o n s 

we re reminiscent of those in Pe ru , S ri Lanka, 

and the Philippines, wh e re marketing of pro ducts 

from incidentally caught cetaceans wa s 

fo l l owed by the establishment of dire c t e d 

hunts. Van Wa e rebeek and P.K. Ofo ri - D a n s o n 

p resented a pre l i m i n a ry ch e cklist of the 

cetaceans of Ghana to the 1999 meeting of the 

IWC Scientific Committee, and Van Wa e rebeek 

subsequently re c e ived a medium-size d 

p roject grant from CMS/UNEP to continu e 

wo rk in Ghana and Togo . 

B rian Smith, Gill Braulik (UK/Hong 

Ko n g ) , and Thomas Je ffe rson (US/Hong 

Kong) developed a project in the Gulf of 

Tonkin jointly sponsored by CMS/UNEP and 

O P C F. After a training session in Hong Ko n g 

i nvolving scientists from Vietnam and China, 

s u rveys we re carried out in the Gulf of To n k i n 

d u ring October 1999 and Ap ril 2000. In add ition 

to re c o rding observations of liv i n g 

cetaceans (few we re seen), the re s e a rch e rs 

compiled data on fishing activ i t y, i n t e rv i ewe d 

fi s h e rm e n , and inspected cetacean remains at 

“ whale temples” in Vietnam. Unfo rt u n at e ly, i t 

p roved impossible to obtain permission fo r 

planned surveys in Chinese wat e rs of the Gulf. 

At the request of the Indian Ministry of Env 

i ronment and Fo re s t s ,the CSG arra n ged for a 

team of fo reign ex p e rts to inspect a dolphinarium 

in Chennai, wh e re three bottlenose dolphins 

had died short ly after their arrival fro m 

B u l ga ria in 1998. Ve t e ri n a rians Nick Gales 

( Au s t ralia) and Reimi Kinoshita (Hong Ko n g ) 

t raveled to Chennai in December 1999 and 

submitted their rep o rt to the authorities soon 

a f t e r wa rd. In addition to eva l u ating the fa c i l it 

y ’s husbandry and animal health progra m s , 

Gales and Kinoshita recommended that any 

n ew acquisitions should come from ex i s t i n g 

s u rplus cap t ive stock rather than from wild 

p o p u l ations. As noted in their rep o rt ,wild popu 

l ations of bottlenose dolphins “ a re coming 

under increasing pre s s u re. . . f rom fi s h e ries int 

e ra c t i o n s , d i rect hunting, pollution and the 

o c e a n a rium tra d e.” 

As in the past, the CSG chair has become 

i nvo l ved in a wide ra n ge of activities re l ated to 

cetacean conservat i o n , i n cl u d i n g : fo rmal rev 

i ews of re s e a rch on the highly endange re d 

gray whale population off Sakhalin Island, 

Russia; part i c i p ation in meetings of Mex i c o ’s 

I n t e rn ational Committee for the Recove ry of 

the Va q u i t a , the Intern ational Whaling Comm 

i s s i o n ’s Scientific Committee, and panels 

c o nvened to add ress va rious marine mammal 

issues; prep a ration of national re c ove ry plans 

for right whales in Canada, and for bl u e, fi n , 

Species 41

s e i , and sperm whales in the United States; and 

co-editing volumes on persistent ocean contaminants 

(with Thomas O’Shea and A l i s o n 

L o n g, M a rine Mammal Commission, 1 9 9 8 ) , 

the conservation and management of mari n e 

mammals (with John Tw i s s ,Smithsonian Institution 

Pre s s , 1 9 9 9 ) , the biology and conservation 

of Asian river cetaceans (with Brian Smith 

and Toshio Kasuya , IUCN/SSC Occasional 

Paper No. 23, 2 0 0 0 ) , and telemetric studies of 

white whales and narwhals (with David St. 

Au b i n , fo rthcoming as a special issue of the 

j o u rnal A rc t i c ) . 

In August 1999, R e eves part i c i p ated in a 

UNESCO mission to Baja Califo rn i a ,M ex i c o , 

to help decide whether the Whale Reserve of 

El Vizcaino should be placed on the List of 

Wo rld Heri t age in Dange r. Although the mission 

rep o rt ack n ow l e d ges that the eastern Pac 

i fic gray whale population ap p e a rs to be 

ro bust and out of dange r, it also calls at t e n t i o n 

to the ge n e ral aesthetic and ecological va l u e s 

of the site that would be signifi c a n t ly affe c t e d 

by the proposed new evap o rat ive saltwo rks in 

San Ignacio Lagoon. To the relief of conservat 

i o n i s t s ,the gove rnment of Mexico announced 

in early 2000 that the San Ignacio pro j e c t 

would not be allowed to pro c e e d. 

In November 1999, R e eve s , along with 

S m i t h ,B ra u l i k , and Kasuya ,p a rt i c i p ated in the 

South Asia River Dolphin Wo rkshop hosted by 

Wo rld Wide Fund for Nat u re - Pakistan in Lah 

o re. Braulik subsequently headed a team, 

42 Species 

i n cluding Smith and Rich a rd Garstang (WWF- 

Pa k i s t a n ) , ch a rged with prep a ring a pro j e c t 

p roposal based on the wo rkshop deliberat i o n s . 

This proposal provides a fi rm basis for immed 

i ate action to improve the status of Indus and 

G a n ges dolphins, both listed as Endange re d. 

One key element, wh i ch has alre a dy been 

funded for a thre e - year start-up peri o d, is to est 

ablish “ rescue centers ” at Sukkur in Sind and 

Taunsa in Punjab. These centers will be 

equipped to respond quick ly when dolphins are 

d i s c ove red to have “ e s c ap e d ” into irri gat i o n 

c a n a l s , wh e re they are perm a n e n t ly lost to the 

wild population in the Indus Rive r. 

D u ring the past three ye a rs , ge n e rous supp 

o rt from the Intern ational Fund for A n i m a l 

We l fa re has made a critical diffe rence in the 

C S G ’s ability to carry out its CITES and Red 

List responsibilities and has helped cover the 

gro u p ’s ge n e ral administrat ive costs. Gra n t s 

f rom the Convention on Migrat o ry Species, 

Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, 

Ocean Pa rk Conservation Fo u n d at i o n , W W F - 

U S, W W F - Pa k i s t a n , and Chicago Zoologi c a l 

Society have allowed CSG members to implement 

Action Plan projects around the wo rl d. A 

longstanding arra n gement with the Center fo r 

M a rine Conservat i o n , wh i ch administers funds 

on the CSG’s behalf, has been vital in fa c i l i t ating 

our wo rk . 

Randall Reeve s , C h a i r

C o rm o rant Specialist Group (WI/Bird L i fe / S S C ) 

The Gro u p ’s activities still focus ve ry mu ch 

a round the Gre at Corm o rant P h a l a c ro c o ra x 

c a r b o , the subspecies s i n e n s i s, wh i ch is causing 

concern in many European countries because 

of its rise in nu m b e rs. This populat i o n 

i n c rease is fo l l owed on an annual basis that all 

ows a detailed view on the species’ ex t e n s i o n 

of pat t e rn of distri bution. Wo rk on demograp hy 

using colour rings is continuing in seve ral European 

colonies, the longest continuous time 

s e ries is twenty ye a rs. This will allow us to calc 

u l ate annual surv iva l , and will provide insight 

on how body condition of the young corre l at e s 

with their dispersal pat t e rn and surv ival. Fo o d 

studies are still on go i n g, and in some cases 

p a rallel the fi s h e ry data. An important issue remains 

to wh at extent the Gre at Corm o ra n t 

d a m ages fi s h e ri e s . 

R e c e n t ly a European Management Plan has 

been launched wh i ch , despite a strong plea on 

the part of some countri e s ,did not result in pro - 

a c t ive measures to diminish nu m b e rs of bre e ding 

pairs in the heart of Euro p e ’s bre e d i n g 

a reas (nort h e rn Germ a ny, D e n m a rk and the 

N e t h e rlands). More ove r, c o u n t ries are less inclined 

to take pro t e c t ive measures thro u g h o u t 

the winter peri o d, wh i ch results in quite substantial 

nu m b e rs being shot each year in are a s 

wh e re the fi s h e ries damage issue is high on the 

political agenda (Fra n c e, S w i t ze rl a n d, p a rts of 

G e rm a ny, Au s t ri a , I t a ly). Much info rm ation is 

needed to be able to eva l u ate these kills and 

wh i ch is a possible role for the Specialist 

G roup as well. In a European context the issue 

is still matter of deb at e, and a reason to launch 

a project under the umbrella of EC (Fi f t h 

Fra m ewo rk) wh i ch will use the existing netwo 

rk of the Gro u p ’s members to carry out new 

studies and obtain know l e d ge that is unpubl 

i s h e d. The next three ye a rs will initiate studies 

on the North A m e rican Double Crested Corm 

o rants to shed light on trends in ecology and 

p e rc eption on both sides of the A t l a n t i c. A lthough 

in many countries considered a pest 

s p e c i e s , some of the corm o rants of the wo rl d 

a re quite specialised and sometimes endange 

red species! More attention has to be paid in 

the near future to this part of the corm o ra n t s ’ 

wo rl d, s u ch as to compare stat u s , t rends and 

l evel of know l e d ge of these “ fo rgo t t e n ” p o p ul 

ations. The next meeting of the group is sch e duled 

for December 2000, in Freising near 

M u n i ch ,G e rm a ny. 

M e n n o b a rt van Eerd e n , C o - o rd i n at o r 

Species 43

C racid Special Group (WPA / B i rd L i fe / S S C ) 

The Cracid Specialist Group (CSG) has held a 

number of diffe rent Symposia over the last two 

decades. The pri m a ry purpose of these important 

meetings is to examine detailed rep o rt s 

and updates on Cracid stat u s , d i s t ri bution and 

c o n s e rvation. Just as import a n t , Wo rk s h o p s 

p rovide a fo rum to commu n i c ate openly and 

e ffe c t ive ly about seve ral topics re l ating to 

C racid re s e a rch and conservat i o n . 

In October 1999, CSG held a Regi o n a l 

Wo rkshop focusing on South A m e ri c a ’s Southe 

rn Cone (southern Bolivia and Bra z i l , 

Pa rag u ay, and A rgentina) co-coord i n ated by 

Dan Brooks and Rob Clay (Guyra Pa rag u ay ) , 

and held in A s u n c i o n ,Pa rag u ay in conjunction 

with the IV Intern ational Congress on Wi l d l i fe 

M a n agement and Conservation in the A m a zo n . 

I m m e d i at e ly fo l l owing this meeting, a joint 

C S G - Pa rt ri d ge / Q u a i l / Francolin Group (PQFG) 

Symposium on Conservation and Manage m e n t 

of Neotropical Gallifo rmes also took place, 

with the Cracid section co-coord i n ated by 

B rooks and Fe rnando Gonzalez-Garcia (Inst. 

Ecol.). This meeting was co-hosted with 

P Q F G ’s John Carroll and held in Monterrey, 

M exico in conjunction with the 6th Neotro p ical 

Orn i t h o l ogy Congress. The contents of 

these meetings can be seen in the recent issue 

of W PA News. Both Symposia concluded with 

R o u n d - t able Discussions, c o nvening as Wo rking 

Groups engaged in open, dynamic discussion. 

We began by introducing ours e l ves and 

our interest in Neotropical Gallifo rm e s . 

A book comprising these Symposia is in the 

wo rk s , co-edited with QPFG, and there fo re 

c ove ring all Neotropical Gallifo rm e s , rat h e r 

than only Cracids. The title will be “ B i o l ogy 

and Conservation of Neotropical Gallifo rm e s 

in the New Millenium,” and it will compri s e 

m o s t ly manu s c ripts from the Symposium in 

M ex i c o , but also some manu s c ripts from the 

Wo rkshops in Boliv i a , Pa rag u ay, as well as 

some invited manu s c ri p t s . 

The other bit of exciting info rm ation is that 

the long-awaited Cracid Action Plan is fi n a l ly 

p u bl i s h e d. This undertaking would not have 

44 Species 

been possible without the input of more than 

50 people from around the globe. Here is the 

E xe c u t ive summmary : 

C racids (cura s s ow s , g u a n s , and ch a ch a l acas) 

are the most thre atened fa m i ly of 

N e o t ropical bird s ,o c c u rring in south Tex a s , 

Trinidad and To b ago , and all Latin A m e rican 

mainland countries ex c ept Chile. Th ey 

a re a pri m i t ive, a n c e s t ral fa m i ly of ga m eb 

i rds (Gallifo rmes) that play an import a n t 

role in the rege n e ration of tropical fo re s t 

t h rough seed dispersal and pre d at i o n , ye t 

half of all species are thre atened by hab i t at 

d e s t ruction and hunting. The five most cri ti 

c a l ly endange red species are the horn e d 

g u a n , A l agoas cura s s ow, Trinidad and 

bl a ck - f ronted piping-guans, and highland 

g u a n , while the four most cri t i c a l ly endange 

red subspecies are three subspecies of the 

helmeted cura s s ow and the nort h e a s t e rn 

b a re - faced cura s s ow.

C racids are important not only for their ro l e 

as seed dispers e rs ,but also as biological ind 

i c at o rs of the env i ro n m e n t ,as a major protein 

source for indigenous people, and as an 

i m p o rtant focus for ecotourism. The scarc ity 

of info rm ation in many regions for many 

species makes it difficult to conserve them, 

so it is hoped that this Plan will encourage 

f u rther studies of the cracid fa m i ly. Conc 

e rted field wo rk and the development of 

sound conservation measures are critical to 

s e c u re a future for these bird s . 

This Action Plan is written for wildlife biologi 

s t s ,e c o l ogi s t s ,a d m i n i s t rat o rs ,e d u c at o rs , 

c o n s e rvation officials and potential funding 

d o n o rs in countries inhabited by cracids. It 

is hoped its contents will further cat a ly ze 

c o n s e rvation and re s e a rch of this fa s c i n ating 

group of bird s . 

The Plan describes the nat u ral history of 

c ra c i d s ,outlines the thre ats to the birds and 

the measures needed to allev i ate these 

t h re ats. The ch apter “ C o n s e rvation Strat egy 

and Taxonomic A c c o u n t s ” outlines the 

methods used by the Cracid Specialist 

G roup to classify thre atened species and 

s u b s p e c i e s , and provides species accounts. 

“ C o u n t ry and Regional Pri o ri t i e s ”i n cl u d e s 

methods for identifying countries that are 

home to the ra rest cracids and shows that 

the highest number of ra rest taxa occur in 

B ra z i l ,C o l o m b i a ,Pe ru , and Bolivia (in descending 

order). This ch apter also lays out 

the pri o rity actions needed in each country 

for the conservation of cra c i d s . 

The ch apter “ G e n e ral Conservation Recomm 

e n d at i o n s ” calls for ex t e n s ive conservation 

re s e a rch including status and 

d i s t ri bution surveys in each country, s t u d i e s 

of the effects of hab i t at disturbance and 

hunting pre s s u re, assessments of cracids as 

b i o l ogical indicat o rs , c o n s e rvation education 

and commu n i c ation progra m s , the creation 

of new re s e rve s , t ogether with an 

assessment of their effe c t ive n e s s ,and an assessment 

of legi s l at ive issues such as tra d e 

l egi s l ation. In the field of taxonomic res 

e a rch , ri go rous studies are needed to determine 

species limits; solving taxonomic 

i rreg u l a rities is essential for assigning cons 

e rvation pri o rities to species. Pri o rity fi e l d 

p rojects are listed by country and av i c u l t u ral 

pri o rities and symposia are outlined. 

As far as other new s ,W PA held the fi rst meeting 

of its Conservation Committee, wh i ch is an 

a dv i s o ry committee that will guide the future 

c o n s e rvation action for all the Gallifo rmes. Th e 

meeting took place at the Pa ris Museum’s 

C l e res Zoological Pa rk in Clere, Fra n c e, i n 

S eptember 1999. Brooks went to this meeting 

rep resenting the CSG. 

CSG continues its strong commitment to 

p u bl i c ation of Cracid re s e a rch through the 

t rilingual Bol. CSG (Bulletin of the Cra c i d 

Specialist Group). This Bulletin has been published 

and circ u l ated biannu a l ly, ap p rox i m at ely 

eve ry March and Sep t e m b e r, with ge n e ro u s 

help from W PA. The Bulletin re a ches over 350 

i n d ividuals around the globe, p re d o m i n a n t ly in 

L atin A m e ri c a . 

For more info rm ation on the CSG, p l e a s e 

contact Dan Bro o k s , CSG Chair, at : H o u s t o n 

Museum of Nat u ral Science; Dep a rtment of 

Ve rt eb rate Zoology; 1 Hermann Circle Drive ; 

H o u s t o n , Texas 77030-1799, U S A , o r 

d b ro o k s @ h m n s . o rg. 

Daniel M. Bro o k s , C h a i r 

E - m a i l :d b ro o k s @ h m n s . o rg 

Species 45

C rane Specialist Group (Bird L i fe / S S C ) 

N o rth A m e rican Cra n e s 

The ra rest of cra n e s , the Whooping Crane of 

N o rth A m e ri c a , re a ched an all-time high during 

the winter of 1999-2000 of 388 bird s : 1 8 8 

in the migrat o ry population between Canada 

and the USA, t h ree in the Rocky Mountains, 

106 in cap t iv i t y, and 91 in the new non-migrat 

o ry population in Florida. In March of 2000, 

one pair of cranes in Florida hat ched two 

ch i ck s ,one of wh i ch has surv ived to dat e. Th i s 

is the fi rst production since the releases of capt 

ive birds in Florida began in 1993. Ten other 

p a i rs of cranes in Florida look pro m i s i n g. 

Water level in wetlands in Florida have been 

l ow the past two ye a rs. When normal wat e r 

l evels re t u rn ,m a ny pairs are expected to bre e d. 

Plans are being developed by using ultra - l i g h t 

a i rc raft starting in 2001 to establish a new migrat 

o ry population that would breed in Wi sconsin 

and winter in Flori d a . 

The ra rest subspecies of Sandhill Crane in 

N o rth A m e ri c a ,the Mississippi Sandhill, nu mb 

e rs ap p rox i m at e ly 110-120 birds and is 

sustained through annual releases of cap t ive - 

re a red cranes. This augmentat i o n , plus the 

re s t o ration of the nat ive wet pine savanna hab it 

at , has increased the number of breeding pairs 

of cranes from nine in 1990 to 19 in 2000. In 

1 9 9 9 , one juvenile fl e d ged in the wild and 15 

c ap t ive - p roduced cranes we re re l e a s e d. 

Since 1994, the Cuban Sandhill Cra n e, e ndemic 

to the main island and to the Isle of 

Yo u t h , has been inve s t i gated by Xiomara 

G a l vez and her colleagues at the Cuban Gove 

rn m e n t ’s National Enterp rise for the Pro t e ction 

of Flora and Fauna. Twe l ve populat i o n s 

h ave been located with a total population estim 

ated at 600 birds. Intensive re s e a rch on the 

b i o l ogy of the subspecies is now underway at 

Los Indios Nat u re Reserve on the Isle of Yo u t h . 

Asian Cra n e s 

The State Fo re s t ry A d m i n i s t ration (SFA) of 

China has launched an ambitious China Cra n e 

S u rvey, t h at will assess nu m b e rs , d i s t ri bu t i o n , 

and hab i t ats for cranes during bre e d i n g, m i gra- 

46 Species 

t o ry, and wintering periods. Given the size of 

China and its significance for cra n e s , this survey 

will provide inva l u able info rm ation fo r 

c rane and nat u re re s e rve management as we l l 

for designation of new nat u re re s e rves. In add 

i t i o n , s t rat egies are needed for cranes outside 

p rotected areas. As part of the larger effo rt , 

M a ry Anne Bishop, ICF Research A s s o c i at e, 

assisted the SFA and Tibet Fo re s t ry Bureau in 

conducting a 12-day survey of winteri n g 

B l a ck - n e cked Cranes in southcentral Ti b e t . 

The team counted 4,277 cra n e s , an increase of 

9% over 3,910 cranes counted by Bishop in 

1 9 9 2 . 

The eastern population of Siberian Cra n e s 

ap p e a rs to be holding at ap p rox i m at e ly 2,500- 

3,000 individuals. Th e re are concern s , h oweve 

r, about high rates of human development and 

water dive rsion programs that might negat ively 

impact wetlands in China that are critical to 

the surv ival of these cranes. Unfo rt u n at e ly, i n 

the central population of Siberian Cra n e s ,o n ly 

a single pair re t u rns to winter in Keoladeo National 

Pa rk in India and to breeding grounds in 

we s t e rn Siberia near Ku n ovat. In the we s t e rn 

p o p u l at i o n , s even cranes including one juvenile 

we re rep o rted wintering in the wat e r fow l 

t rapping complex near Fe reydoon Kenar on the 

Caspian lowlands of Iran. At least a few other 

b i rds are believed to winter elsewh e re. 

The Intern ational Crane Fo u n d at i o n , t h e 

C o nvention on Migrat o ry Species, and UNEP 

h ave re c e ived a PDF B grant from the Global 

E nv i ronment Facility (GEF) to protect a seri e s 

of critical wetlands along the eastern and we s te 

rn fly ways. The gove rnments of China, I ra n , 

Kazakhstan and Russia are active ly support i n g 

the program. This one-year grant is being used 

to prep a re a project brief for a five - year program. 

The Siberian Crane will serve as a fl agship 

species for globally significant we t l a n d 

ecosystems used by migrat o ry wat e r b i rds. A ct 

ivities will focus on legal pro t e c t i o n ,d eve l o ping 

and implementing management plans, 

identifying and add ressing thre at s , and invo l ving 

local communities in conservat i o n .

A fl o u rishing cap t ive population of Siberi a n 

C ranes has been established and many cap t ive - 

p roduced birds and eggs are ava i l able for exp 

e rimental release programs in we s t e rn A s i a . 

P ro blems facing critical wetlands for fo u r 

e n d a n ge red species of cranes in northeast A s i a 

a re being add ressed by the Northeast A s i a n 

C rane Site Netwo rk. The Site Netwo rk aims to 

e n c o u rage intern ational cooperation on cra n e s 

and wetlands conservat i o n , with a special 

focus on sites of importance as bre e d i n g, m igrat 

o ry, or wintering hab i t ats of cranes. Th e 

Site Netwo rk curre n t ly invo l ves 18 sites nomin 

ated by their re s p e c t ive countries (Russia, 

M o n go l i a , C h i n a , N o rth Ko re a , South Ko re a , 

and Japan). A Wo rking Group has been established 

to guide activities of the Site Netwo rk , 

consisting of rep re s e n t at ives of each of the six 

c o u n t ries and three technical ex p e rts. Nori t a k a 

I ch i d a , D i rector of the Intern ational Center of 

the Wild Bird Society of Jap a n , ch a i rs the 

Wo rking Gro u p , with assistance from the 

C rane Fly way Offi c e r, Simba Chan. The Site 

N e t wo rk and Wo rking Group operate under 

guidance of an A s i a - Pa c i fic Migrat o ry Wat e rb 

i rd Conservation Strat egy, c o o rd i n ated by the 

Asia Pa c i fic Migrat o ry Wat e r b i rd Conservat i o n 

C o m m i t t e e. 

The Wo rking Group has held two meetings, 

one in Murav i ovka Pa rk in Russia in Sep t e mber 

1998 and the second in Suncheon City, 

South Ko rea in Feb ru a ry 2000; a handbook to 

guide crane re s e a rch and monitoring at the netwo 

rk sites is about to be publ i s h e d, and a 

N o rtheast Asia Crane Action Plan has been 

p rep a re d. 

A f rican Cra n e s 

C a rlos Bento of the Museum of Nat u ral History 

in Mozambique is undertaking his M.Sc. res 

e a rch on the ecology and conservation of 

Wattled Cranes in the delta of the Zambezi 

R iver in Mozambique in cooperation with ICF. 

C rane populations in the delta are affected by 

the altered flooding pat t e rns caused by ups 

t ream dams. The re s e a rch team discove red the 

o n ly known breeding grounds of Wat t l e d 

C ranes in Mozambique, and is wo rking to link 

the conservation of this area to the management 

of fl o o dwat e rs on the Zambezi Rive r. Soc 

i o l ogical surveys are now being made to 

d e t e rmine the responses of local people to proposed 

re flooding of the delta through cont 

rolled releases from upstream dams. 

D u ring the fi rst half of 2000, ICF and We tlands 

Intern ational are undertaking a fi rs t - eve r 

i n t e rn ational survey of Black Crowned Cra n e s 

in twenty nations throughout their ra n ge fro m 

S e n egal to Ethiopia. The project includes aerial 

and ground surveys and questionnaires targeting 

all of the known (current or past) 

h ab i t ats of the Black Crowned Cranes. Emm 

a nuel Wi l l i a m s , the Black Crowned Cra n e 

P rogram Coord i n at o r, is compiling survey results 

and drafting a Black Crowned Crane A ction 

Plan to promote the re c ove ry of the 

species through fo l l ow-up field projects. In 

East A f ri c a , J i m my Muheeb wa of Make re re 

U n ive rs i t y, K a m p a l a , is conducting his M.Sc. 

re s e a rch on the impact of land use activities on 

the breeding success of Grey Crowned Cra n e s 

in Uganda. 

The South A f rican Crane Wo rking Group , 

under the aegis of the Endange red Wi l d l i fe 

Tru s t , c o o rd i n ates conservation effo rts in all 

s even key crane regions in South A f rica. Th i s 

i n cludes three regional crane gro u p s , six full 

time field offi c e rs and joint programs with gove 

rnment conservation bodies. Education and 

awa re n e s s , h ab i t at pro t e c t i o n , re s e a rch and 

m o n i t o ring programs focus on the conservation 

of Wat t l e d, G rey Crowned and Blue 

C ranes in South A f ri c a ,i n cluding the release of 

c ap t ive - re a red Wattled Cranes into re m n a n t 

p o p u l ations of wild conspecifi c s . 

G e o rge A rchibald and va rious members 

of the Crane Specialist Gro u p 

Species 47

C rocodile Specialist Gro u p 

The Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) re c o nstituted 

its membership at the beginning of the 

t riennium in 1997, and with additional member 

n o m i n ations the current membership is 313. 

We continued our policy of incl u s ive members 

h i p ,i nviting a broad va riety of people active in 

c rocodilian conservation and including rep res 

e n t at ives of crocodile management age n c i e s , 

CITES Au t h o ri t i e s , c rocodile fa rmer and skin 

i n d u s t ry gro u p s , as well as academics and res 

e a rch e rs. We also used the triennial re n ewal to 

re f resh the membership with many new and 

a c t ive members and increased members h i p 

among underep resented groups. The Group is 

o rga n i zed into ten regional and disciplinary 

s u b groups each coord i n ated by a Vice Chair. 

Vice Chairs , their deputy vice ch a i rs ,and add itional 

regional rep re s e n t at ives are constituted 

as a Steering Committee of 38 members. We 

re c e n t ly cre ated a new Ve t e ri n a rian subgro u p 

to provide a fo rum for ve t e ri n a ry and husb 

a n d ry specialist interests within the Gro u p . 

The SSC Chair, the Assistant Secre t a ry General 

of CITES and a rep re s e n t at ive of IUCN 

L atin A m e rica sit as ex - o ffi o m e m b e rs of the 

S t e e ring Committee. The Steering Committee 

attempts to meet at least once a ye a r, u s u a l ly in 

conjunction with other global meetings, bu t 

t ransacts most of its business by electro n i c 

means. A full time, paid Exe c u t ive officer coo 

rd i n ates the Groups activities from offices at 

the Unive rsity of Flori d a , U S A . 

The Group continues to be supported by 

d o n ations from a wide va riety of sourc e s , ra i sing 

between $51,000 and $78,000 annu a l ly to 

s u p p o rt an annual bu d get of around $70,000. 

The major expense is the salaried Exe c u t ive 

O fficer that consumes about 65% of the annual 

bu d get. A seve re reve nue short fall was 

ex p e rienced in 1998 and re q u i red major exp 

e n d i t u re cutbacks and aggre s s ive add i t i o n a l 

f u n d ra i s i n g. The annual value of the Gro u p ’s 

c o n s e rvation activities was estimated at bet 

ween half a million and two million dollars if 

the total of unpaid contri butions and actions by 

the members is incl u d e d. 

48 Species 


The Group continued to produce major publ ic 

ations in the field of crocodilian conservat i o n . 

The CSG produces a quart e rly Newsletter that 

is distri buted to all members and to an add itional 

500-600 interested individuals and institutions 

wo rl dw i d e. This 18-26 page, m aga z i n e 

fo rm at publ i c ation has become a major fo ru m 

for rapid dissemination of news and discussion 

on crocodilian conservation. A revised 2nd 

Edition of the S t atus and Conservation A c t i o n 

P l a n was distri buted in 1998 and Pro c e e d i n g s 

of our 14th biannual Wo rking Meeting held in 

S i n gap o re in 1998 and Proceedings of the 15th 

Wo rking Meeting held in Cuba in early 2000. 

A significant new commu n i c ation medium is 

the establishment of the CSG web page at 

w w w. fl m n h . u fl . e d u / n at s c i / h e rp e t o gy l o/ 

c ro c s . h 

tm hosted by the Florida Museum of Nat u ra l 

History (who also provide office and support 

facilities). The web page includes ge n e ral accounts 

of the Gro u p ’s activ i t i e s , a cro c o d i l e 

photo ga l l e ry, the revised Action Plan, re c e n t 

n ew s l e t t e rs in English and Spanish tra n s l at i o n , 

and is also the entry point to a wide netwo rk of 

l i n ked sites on crocodilians. Entry to the website 

exceeded 1 million “ h i t s ” a month in lat e 

1999 rep resenting ap p rox i m at e ly 65,000 individual 

user sessions who spend an ave rage of 

10 minutes at the site. The web site is now producing 

nu m e rous contacts from pro fe s s i o n a l s , 

re s e a rch e rs and the publ i c, as well as tri ckle of 

financial support . 

A c t iv i t i e s 

The Group has begun a number of new initiat 

ives during the triennium to respond to ch a n ge s 

in the global crocodilian situation. We have promoted 

a netwo rk of re s e a rch e rs engaged in genetic 

and DNA studies of crocodilians and also 

constituted a cross regional special netwo rk to 

a dd ress the needs of the A m e rican cro c o d i l e, a 

w i d e ly distri buted new wo rld species. The CSG

c o n t i nued its development and support of sust 

a i n able use of crocodilians as an integral component 

of the conservation of seve ral species. 

H oweve r, we have also undert a ken a number of 

c ritical re - eva l u ations of these programs and 

i d e n t i fied some important constraints to their 

success. In 1998 we initiated a special task 

fo rce on Market Driven Conservation to add 

ress concerns about the re l ationship of conservation 

to global crocodile skin tra d e. Th i s 

i n cludes improvement of wo rld trade dat a , i nve 

s t i gation of illegal trade and an economic 

s t u dy of the stru c t u re of the intern ational cro codilian 

skin tra d e. We continued to wo rk cl o s ely 

with the CITES Secre t a ri at and nat i o n a l 

a u t h o rities to improve the reg u l ation of the 

c rocodilian skin tra d e. 

We have also re - e m p h a s i zed conservat i o n 

a c t ivities on crocodilian species not pro m i n e n t 

in commercial tra d e. The Revised Action Plan 

p rovided a series of pri o rity species for conservation 

action. Using special funding ra i s e d 

l a rge ly from the skin industry, we support e d 

field surveys of the False gharial (To m i s t o m a 

s ch l egelii) in Indonesia and Malaysia re s u l t i n g 

in a re - eva l u ation of its status from Data Deficient 

to Endange re d. Another pri o rity species 

is the Philippine cro c o d i l e, wh i ch is now subject 

to a cooperat ive management plan by a 

N ational Crocodile Recove ry Team compri sing 

of gove rnment and CSG members. Th e 

species is also the subject of new field re s e a rch 

and seve ral new, although small, wild populations 

have been rep o rt e d. Other species we re 

also eva l u ated ap p lying the revised IUCN crit 

e ria resulting in a more objective and tra n sp 

a rent listing of crocodilian thre atened species. 

H oweve r, these eva l u ations have reve a l e d 

some difficulties in ap p lying the IUCN cri t e ri a 

and CSG has been prominent in rev i ewing and 

c ritiquing the cri t e ria revisions in an attempt to 

i m p rove their ap p l i c ation for long lived and 

w i d e ly distri buted species. 

Chinese A l l i gator Conservat i o n 

Our most urgent current crisis is the rap i d ly declining 

status of the Chinese alligator in the 

w i l d. With strong support from the Dire c t o r 

G e n e ral of IUCN we have successfully 

b rought this issue to the attention of nat i o n a l 

and local authorities in China and a broad program 

to add ress conservation needs is now 

being planned and funding sought. Our effe ct 

iveness on this and other issues is gre at ly enhanced 

by cooperat ive interaction with other 

SSC Specialist Groups , IUCN regional offi c e s 

and cooperating IUCN member orga n i z at i o n s . 

The Chinese alligator conservation program is 

combining IUCN members Wi l d l i fe Conservation 

Society, C h i c ago Zoological Society, 

Anhui Center for Chinese A l l i gator Conservat 

i o n ,East China Normal Unive rs i t y, T R A F F I C 

S.E A s i a , the Asian Reptile and A m p h i b i a n 

Specialist Group and the Fre s h water Tu rt l e 

Specialist group. By using the combined res 

o u rces of the IUCN fa m i ly we can pro m o t e 

our conservation objective s . 

H a rry Messel, C h a i r 

James Pe rran Ross, E xe c u t ive Offi c e r 

Species 49

D iver/Loon Specialist Group (WI/Bird L i fe / S S C ) 

Triennial A c t ivity Rep o rt 1997-1999 

The Diver/Loon Specialist Group is five ye a rs 

o l d. Its stated pri m a ry objective is to fa c i l i t at e 

c o m mu n i c ation among loon re s e a rch e rs wo rl d 

w i d e. Thus a special effo rt was made to deve lop 

an efficient commu n i c ation netwo rk among 

loon re s e a rch e rs living in both the Old and 

N ew Wo rl d. To ach i eve this objective, t wo app 

ro a ches we re used. 

• A Dire c t o ry with the indication of re s e a rch 

or management interests of part i c i p at i n g 

l o o n / d iver re s e a rch e rs ,m a n age rs and publ i c 

e d u c at o rs was developed and distri bu t e d 

along with the fi rst Newsletter produced in 

1997. The second issue of the Dive r / L o o n 

Specialist Group Newsletter became ava i lable 

on the Internet (www. b ri l o o n . o rg / 

d iver) in Ju ly 1999. An updated Dire c t o ry 

containing well over 100 names in fo u rt e e n 

c o u n t ries will also be distri buted early in 

2000 and it will be also ava i l able on the Int 

e rn e t . 

50 Species 

• S c i e n t i fic wo rkshops are the major medium 

of commu n i c ation among members of the 

D iver/Loon Specialist Group. The Pro c e e dings 

or extended A b s t racts of these Wo rkshops 

are published speedily after the 

meetings. The themes and topics of these 

wo rkshops are selected from the members ’ 

s u gge s t i o n s . 

These wo rkshops/symposia are held usually 

in association with the meetings of other scie 

n t i fic or bird orga n i z ations. In North A m e ri c a 

this has been done in close cooperation with 

the Research Committee of the North A m e rican 

Loon Fund, a volunteer non pro fit orga n iz 

at i o n . 

Two such symposia took place in the last 

t h ree ye a rs. A Loon Symposium was held in 

M i n n e ap o l i s , Minn. USA, August 1997, i n 

conjunction with the A m e rican Orn i t h o l ogi s t s ’ 

Union A n nual Meeting. The ab s t racts of this 

Symposium are ava i l able in the second 

N ewsletter and the Proceedings will be published 

by the North A m e rican Loon Fund in 

2000. A highly successful Intern ational Loon

Seminar vas held at Vi s k a d a l e n , S we d e n , i n 

August 1999. The extended A b s t racts of the 

p ap e rs presented will be published in the third 

N ew s l e t t e r. 

The Diver/Loon Specialist Group continu e d 

to provide input to improve the wo rld loon 

p o p u l ation estimates published by We t l a n d s 

I n t e rn ational. The improvement of the accuracy 

of the wo rld loon population estimates and 

the monitoring of population trends remains an 

i m p o rtant objective of our Specialist Gro u p . 

The Coord i n ator submitted a three year rep 

o rt in behalf of the Diver/Loon Specialist 

G roup to Wetlands Intern at i o n a l ,for their Ext 

ra o rd i n a ry General Meeting in Dakar, S e n ega 

l , N ove m b e r, 1998. He also made ora l 

p re s e n t ations describing the activities of the 

D iver/Loon Specialist Group. Such pre s e n t ations 

we re given at the A q u atic Birds Wo rk i n g 

G roup Wo rkshop at the Congress of the Intern 

ational Limnological Society at Dubl i n , I reland 

in August 1998, at Vi s k a d a l e n ,S we d e n ,i n 

August 1999 and at the A n nual Members 

Meeting of the North A m e rican Loon Fund, 

M o u l t o n b o ro ,N ew Hampshire, U S A , O c t o b e r 

1999. 

F u t u re Plans 

• C o n t i nue to publish the Diver/Loon Specialist 

Group Newsletter at least once a ye a r 

on the Internet. Limited number of hard 

copies will be ava i l able to those not hav i n g 

access to the web s i t e. The Dire c t o ry of the 

p a rt i c i p ating loon/diver re s e a rch e rs and 

m a n age rs will be updated continu o u s ly on 

the Internet. Hard copies will be made ava i lable 

on re q u e s t . 

• C o n t i nue to maintain high quality tech n i c a l 

c o m mu n i c ation among members of the 

D iver/Loon Specialist Group by orga n i z i n g 

t wo Scientific Wo rkshops until 2003 and 

p u blish the proceedings of each wo rk s h o p . 

• Maintain a netwo rk of scientists to continuo 

u s ly rev i ew and update wo rld populat i o n 

e s t i m ates of loons, re a dy to rep o rt to We tlands 

Intern ational when re q u i re d. 

• S t rengthen the contact with the Nort h 

A m e rican Loon Fund, an existing vo l u n t e e r 

o rga n i z ation with the objective to pro m o t e 

the well being of loons in North A m e ri c a . 

We will help to strengthen the North A m e rican 

Loon Fund, to become an intern at i o n a l 

u m b rella orga n i z at i o n ,b ri n ging together the 

nu m e rous existing volunteer loon orga n i z ations. 

This will provide a ve h i cle to educat e 

the ge n e ral public concerning the status of 

loons in North A m e rica and Euro p e. 

• C o n t i nue close collab o ration with other 

Specialist Groups and orga n i z ations such as 

the Wo rking Group on A q u atic Birds of the 

I n t e rn ational Limnological Society and 

N o rtheast Loon Study Wo rking Gro u p 

( U S A , Canada). A special effo rt will be 

made extend contacts in A s i a . 

Jo s eph J. Ke re ke s ,C o o rd i n at o r 

Species 51

Equid Specialist Gro u p 

The long ra n ge goal of the Equid Specialist 

G roup is to conserve biological dive rsity by developing 

and executing programs to study, 

s ave, re s t o re, and wisely manage wild equids 

and their hab i t ats. 

The Equid Specialist Group 

O rga n i z ation and Commu n i c at i o n 

The Equid Specialist Group has expanded to 

encompass more scientific ex p e rtise incl u d i n g 

m o re nationals of ra n ge stat e. These nat i o n a l s 

h ave ex p e rience with the equids in their res 

p e c t ive countries and are active ly committed 

to their conservation. The Equid Specialist 

G roup provides them with assistance in obtaining 

further training and funding for their res 

e a rch. 

The Equid Specialist Group now has coord 

i n at o rs for each species and for issues conc 

e rning ge n e t i c s , rep ro d u c t i o n , d i s e a s e, a n d 

p o p u l ation dy n a m i c s . 

To improve commu n i c ation within the 

gro u p , the ESG has held meetings and symposiums 

in 1997,1998, and 2000. 

A confe rence on the Ecology, E vo l u t i o n , 

and Conservation of Equidae was held at the 

I n t e rn ational Th e ri o l ogical Congress in September 

1997. Talks we re given on equid ge n e ti 

c s , rep ro d u c t ive phy s i o l ogy, p o p u l at i o n 

d e m ograp hy and re c ru i t m e n t , mu l t i - l evel social 

orga n i z at i o n , i n t ra s p e c i fic va ri ation in 

social orga n i z at i o n ,re - i n t roduction of the Przewalski 

horse in Mongo l i a , and spat i a l - dy n a mic 

ecosystem modeling of a fe ral hors e 

p o p u l ation and hab i t at. During the congress we 

held a meeting of the Equid Specialist Gro u p 

and most of the coord i n at o rs we re present. It 

was the fi rst time that many of the members 

had met and we we re able to discuss a ra n ge of 

issues concerning equid re s e a rch and conservation. 

Most of the ESG members also part i c ip 

ated in the Wi l d l i fe Ve t e ri n a ry meeting and 

we discussed our concerns about integrat i n g 

e c o l ogy and behavior into the study of conservation 

ve t e ri n a ry medicine. 

52 Species 

Th e re was a meeting of the Equid Specialist 

Group during the Euro - A m e rican Mammal 

C o n gress in Santiago , Spain in 1998. Duri n g 

this meeting each coord i n ator presented a summ 

a ry of current needed actions for equid cons 

e rvation. The group as a whole discussed 

these actions, i d e n t i fied actions that we re common 

to all species, and started to pri o ri t i ze action 

needed for wild equids in ge n e ral. Duri n g 

this meeting we also discussed equid ge n e t i c s 

a n a lyses that we re needed, and re i n t ro d u c t i o n 

issues concerning the Przewa l s k i ’s horse in 

M o n golia. Once aga i n , it was the fi rst time that 

m a ny of the members had met and we we re 

able to discuss a ra n ge of issues concern i n g 

equid re s e a rch and conservat i o n . 

At this meeting we also had a symposium 

on the Biology and Conservation of Equids. 

Talks we re given on equid ge n e t i c s ,t a x o n o my, 

rep ro d u c t ive phy s i o l ogy, water phy s i o l ogy, 

m o t h e r- i n fant behav i o r, the stat u s ,e c o l ogy, a n d 

social stru c t u re of Khulan (Equus hemionus lut 

e u s) in Mongo l i a , B e h avior of re - i n t ro d u c e d 

Takhi (Equus fe rus przewa l s k i i) pre- and postrelease 

into the Hustain Nuruu Steppe Reserve 

of Mongo l i a , the ecology and conservation of 

the A f rican wild ass (Equus afri c a nus somal 

i e n s i s) in the Horn of A f ri c a , and the fe e d i n g 

h abits of the Iberian wolf (Canis lupus) on fre e 

ra n ging horse herds in Galicia, Spain. 

N ew contacts we re made at the VI Intern ational 

Symposium on the Przewa l s k i ’s horse in 

K i ev, U k raine in October 1999. Re-intro d u ction 

of the Przewa l s k i ’s horse or Takhi is being 

expanded to new sites in Mongo l i a ,C h i n a ,a n d 

C e n t ral Asia. Members of the ESG are actively 

invo l ved in the behav i o ral and ecological aspects 

of these initiat ives. Olga Pe re l a d ova 

( W W F - C e n t ral Asia) and Antoine Sempere 

( C N R S - France) have requested the support 

and assistance of the ESG for the re - i n t ro d u ction 

of the Przewa l s k i ’s horse in Uzbekistan 

and Kazakhstan. 

The ESG met at the Tour du Va l at in Ap ri l 

2000 to discuss the final ve rsion of the new 

Equid Action Plan. Members gave talks on app 

ro p ri ate methodology for surveys and re-

s e a rch on equids. The group traveled to the 

Haute Causse to observe and discuss the Przewa 

l s k i ’s horse semi-re s e rve that is managed by 

Claudia Fe h . 

The New Equid Action Plan 

The new Equid Action Plan is in the final dra f t 

and will be submitted to the Species Surv iva l 

Commission in 2000. The ch ap t e rs on species 

will provide new info rm ation and ideas on how 

to pri o ri t i ze and activate conservation on 

t h re atened and endange red equids in their nat 

ive hab i t ats. The sections on population ge n e ti 

c s , disease ep i d e m i o l ogy, and spat i a l - dy n a m i c 

ecosystem modeling will be useful on a global 

scale and will provide conservation and res 

e a rch pra c t i t i o n e rs with new para d i g m s . 

N ew Scientific Info rm ation 

on Equids 

The ESG has secured funding for re s e a rch and 

c o n s e rvation on the A f rican wild ass in Eri t re a , 

E t h i o p i a , and Somalia. The A f rican wild ass 

(Equus afri c a nu s) is the most endange re d 

equid in the wo rl d. This project will prov i d e 

the scientific info rm ation that is needed to 

u n d e rstand and conserve the cri t i c a l ly endange 

red A f rican wild ass. It will provide educational 

mat e rials on the biology and status of the 

A f rican wild ass and its desert ecosystem. It is 

wo rking in co-operation with the nat i o n a l 

w i l d l i fe authorities and local residents to develop 

management that would maintain 

ecosystem integri t y, c o n s e rve the endange re d 

s p e c i e s , and provide long-term food securi t y. 

Funding has also been secured by Fa nu e l 

Kebede for re s e a rch on the A f rican wild ass 

and the Grev y ’s zeb ra in Ethiopia. 

Funding has been obtained for further surveys 

on the Grev y ’s Zeb ra (Equus grev y i) in 

N o rt h e rn Ke nya and the Kiang (Equus kiang) in 

China. These surveys are curre n t ly being cond 

u c t e d. Funding for further re s e a rch and surveys 

on the Onager (Equus hemionus onage r) 

in Iran has been secured and the re s e a rch will 

s t a rt in March 2000. All of these projects are in 

c o o p e ration with local wildlife authori t i e s . 

Funding was obtained for re s e a rch on potential 

competition between Plains Zeb ra 

(Equus bu rch e l l i) and Grev y ’s Zeb ra on the 

Laikipia Plat e a u , Ke nya. A long-term re s e a rch 

p rogram on the mating systems and mu l t i l eve l 

social orga n i z ation of the Plains Zeb ra has 

s t a rt e d. 

Genetic analyses are being made on dri e d 

fecal samples of A f rican Wild Ass and local 

domestic donkeys. A poly m e rase chain re a ction 

(PCR) based methodology will be used to 

examine genetic va ri ation in diffe rent populations 

of A f rican wild ass. Genetic ch a ra c t e rs 

will be surveyed by PCR and direct sequencing 

of mitoch o n d rial genes and amplifi c ation of 

nu clear micro s atellite marke rs. In addition to 

n ew ly collected samples, genetic analyses will 

be made of ava i l able museum specimens and 

a ny cap t ive individuals that have detailed collection 

and breeding re c o rds. These data will 

p rovide info rm ation on the current levels of genetic 

va ri ation within these populations. A dd it 

i o n a l ly, we will add ress questions concern i n g 

the degree of population subdivision and their 

re l ationship to subspecific designations. Th e 

possibility of hy b ri d i z ation between A f ri c a n 

Wild Asses and domestic donkeys will also be 

i nve s t i gat e d. Similar analyses need to be made 

of the pre s e n t ly designated sub-species of 

Plains Zeb ra and Mountain Zeb ra (E q u u s 

zeb ra) . 

P ro fessional Training and 

E d u c ation 

R e s e a rch and training in ecology and conservation 

science is fundamental for enabl i n g 

committed individuals to pursue their care e rs 

and be more effe c t ive in managing their count 

ry ’s nat u ral re s o u rces. 

Fa nuel Kebede is a biologist with the 

Ethiopian Wi l d l i fe Conservation Orga n i z at i o n . 

He has completed his MSc at the Durrell Institute 

of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) at 

Kent Unive rs i t y, C a n t e r bu ry, England with the 

s u p p o rt of the ESG. He wrote his thesis on 

“ The ecology and conservation of the A f ri c a n 

wild ass in the Danakil desert , Ethiopia”. Upon 

his re t u rn to Ethiopia he has been appointed a 

re s e a rch biologist with the Dep a rtment of Res 

e a rch and Ve t e ri n a ry Medicine at the Ethiopi- 

Species 53

an Wi l d l i fe Conservation Orga n i z ation. He has 

n ow secured funding to continue his re s e a rch 

on A f rican Wild Ass and to start re s e a rch on 

the Grev y ’s Zeb ra . 

H agos Yo h a n n e s , Head of the Eri t re a n 

Wi l d l i fe Sector, will begin wo rk on his MSc in 

Fall 2000 with support from the Equid Specialist 

Gro u p . 

A Grev y ’s Zeb ra poster has been pro d u c e d 

and is being distri buted in Ke nya. Two thousand 

postcards of A f rican Wild Ass we re produced 

and are being distri buted throughout the 

species ra n ge. An A f rican wild ass poster has 

been produced in English, A rab i c, and Ti gri n i a 

for Eri t rea and is being distri buted to gove rnment 

offices and all secondary schools. 

C o o p e ration with NGO’s and 

Specialist Gro u p s 

The Equid Specialist Group is wo rking cl o s e ly 

with the Wi l d l i fe Pre s e rvation Trust Intern ational 

(WPTI) to raise funds for equid re s e a rch , 

t ra i n i n g, and conservation. We are ve ry grat eful 

to Mary Pe a rl for her continuing support 

and encouragement. 

The Equid Specialist Group is cl o s e ly allied 

with the Re-intro d u c t i o n , A n t e l o p e, and Pig 

Specialist Groups. We share members with all 

these groups and we have many concerns and 

goals in common. The ESG is in close commu 

n i c ation with Rod East and has prov i d e d 

d ata and info rm ation to the Antelope Specialist 

G roup for their data bases. We have also provided 

data to the Pig, Pe c c a ry, and Hippo Specialist 

Group on the Desert Wa rt h og. Survey s 

and re s e a rch on the A f rican Wild Ass and the 

G rev y ’s Zeb ra will continue to collect info rm 

ation on antelopes and wa rt h ogs. The ESG 

will continue to wo rk cl o s e ly with the Re-int 

roduction Specialist Gro u p , p a rt i c u l a rly conc 

e rning the re - i n t roductions of Przewa l s k i ’s 

h o rse (Equus fe rus przewa l s k i i) , Ku l a n s 

(Equus hemionus kulan) , and Onage rs (E q u u s 

h e m i o nus onage r) 

54 Species 

F u t u re Goals 

• P u bl i c ation of the new Equid Action Plan 

• I m p rove commu n i c ation and mutual supp 

o rt within the ESG, with other specialist 

gro u p s , and the IUCN 

The ESG will develop a web page in coope 

ration with the SSC web page. This will 

a l l ow the group to effi c i e n t ly update and 

c o m mu n i c ate info rm ation on the status of 

i n d ividual species and on-going re s e a rch . 

The ESG will continue to identify new 

m e m b e rs with scientific ex p e rtise and commitment 

and we will invite them to join the 

gro u p . 

• Implement the actions for equid conservat 

i o n 

The ESG will help to raise funds for implem 

e n t ation of action pri o rities. In most 

c a s e s , i m p l e m e n t ation will have the dire c t 

i nvo l vement of ESG members . 

• I m p rove scientific info rm ation on equid 

b i o l ogy and the management of equid popu 

l ations within an ecosystem contex t 

• S u p p o rt training and educat i o n 

The ESG has developed a program with 

limited funding for the training of ra n ge 

s t ate nationals. We will endeavor to ex p a n d 

t h at program both in terms of funding and 

the number of people tra i n e d. 

The ESG will continue to produce educat i o n a l 

m at e rials concerning to conservation of wild 

equids and their ecosystems. 

Pat ricia D. Moehlman, C h a i r

G ro u p e rs and W rasses Specialist Gro u p 

The Specialist Group for gro u p e rs and wra s s e s 

( S e rranidae and Lab ridae) was established in 

1999 and now has 13 members from nine 

c o u n t ries. The fi rst task of this group has been 

to establish a pri o rity list of species for assessment 

to include seve ral of particular concern , 

m a ny of wh i ch are commerc i a l ly ex p l o i t e d. 

This pri o rity list includes 18 species for wh i ch 

we hope to complete assessments this ye a r. A ssessments 

will continue there a f t e r. Meetings 

with attending members are being arra n ged fo r 

t h ree upcoming intern ational meetings, i n 

M ex i c o , Indonesia and South A f rica betwe e n 

October 2000 and May 2001 to discuss other 

aspects of group development and further prio 

rities. The fi rst issue of a small newsheet has 

just been completed for the group and a reg ular 

column on group activities is being placed 

in the Live Reef Fish Bulletin issued by the 

South Pa c i fic Commission. Fe e d b a ck fro m 

c o n s e rvation groups and individuals who are 

l e a rning of the activities of this group has been 

ex t re m e ly positive with seve ral offe rs of supp 

o rt fo rthcoming in recent months. Our plans 

i n clude the pro c u rement of funds for an assistant 

position to enable development of the 

n ewsletter wh i ch will ultimat e ly go to a large r 

a u d i e n c e, and expanded commu n i c ation with 

s t a ke h o l d e rs at all levels to identify possibl e 

a reas for conservation and management action. 

Y vonne Sadov y, C h a i r 

Species 55

G rouse Specialist Group (WPA / B i rd L i fe / S S C ) 

As the other ga l l i fo rm specialist gro u p s , t h e 

G rouse Specialist Group (GSG) is a vo l u n t a ry 

n e t wo rk of ex p e rt s , h aving as joint parent orga 

n i s ations the Species Surv ival Commission 

(SSC) of the Wo rld Conservation Union 

( I U C N ) ,B i rd L i fe Intern at i o n a l ,and the Wo rl d 

Pheasant A s s o c i ation (WPA). The GSG collects 

and assesses info rm at i o n , i d e n t i fies cons 

e rvation pri o ri t i e s , p romotes re s e a rch and 

c o n s e rvat i o n , and gives advice on grouse and 

their hab i t ats. The GSG was founded in 1993 

and is headed by a ch a i rman and a core committee 

of ten members. Committee members 

a re selected to cover a wide ra n ge of ge ographic 

and species-re l ated ex p e rt i s e. This rep 

o rt summari zes the GSG´s major activ i t i e s 

b e t ween 1997 and 1999. 

G rouse Action Plan 

The major activity of the GSG has been dat a 

collection and prep a ration of the fi rst IUCN 

G rouse Action Plan. The manu s c ript was submitted 

to IUCN in August 1999 and publ i c ation 

is expected for early 2000. The A c t i o n 

Plan will be a tool for promoting grouse cons 

e rvation. Besides providing a re fe rence and 

guide to the distri bu t i o n , s t at u s , and thre ats to 

all grouse species, the Action Plan’s major obj 

e c t ive is to identify conservation pri o ri t i e s 

f rom a global pers p e c t ive. We hope that this 

Action Plan will strengthen the chances of implementing 

the most immediate conservat i o n 

needs to improve the viability of the most 

t h re atened species and subspecies. Th ey are 

the Grouse Specialist Gro u p ’s pri m a ry conc 

e rn. The Action Plan, h oweve r, shall also und 

e rline the importance of grouse conservat i o n 

in a broader sense: As typical rep re s e n t at ives of 

a whole spectrum of nat u ral tundra , gra s s l a n d, 

and fo rest hab i t ats of the nort h e rn hemisphere, 

grouse are indicat o rs to ecosystem health. 

Their indicator function and their at t ra c t ive n e s s 

to people make the grouse suitable fl ag s h i p 

species to promote the conservation of biodive 

rs i t y. Based on the draft Action Plan, a sum- 

56 Species 

m a ry on the conservation status of gro u s e 

wo rl dwide has been presented at the 8th Intern 

ational Grouse Symposium in Rova n i e m i , 

Fi n l a n d, S eptember 1999. 

Chinese Grouse Pro j e c t 

The GSG has been supporting an ongoing res 

e a rch and conservation programme on the 

Chinese grouse (Bonasa sewe r zow i) by the 

GSG s committee member Sun Yue-Hua of the 

Chinese A c a d e my of Sciences and his cowo 

rker Fang Yun. The Chinese grouse is a 

close re l at ive of the hazel grouse and occurs in 

a limited ra n ge in central China. The species is 

t h re atend by hab i t at loss and frag m e n t at i o n , 

and little is known about its ecology and beh 

av i o u r. The GSG has helped to find funding 

for the pro j e c t , and has written letters of re co 

m m e n d ation. During 1995 to 1998, the bird 

has been studied at Lianhuashan Nat u ral Res 

e rve in Gansu Prov i n c e. More than 50 bird s 

we re ra d i o t ra cke d, revealing insight into hab it 

at - re l at i o n s h i p s , spacing pat t e rns and behavi 

o u r. In 1999, re s e a rch into the effects of 

h ab i t at frag m e n t ation on population dy n a m i c s

and persistence of the Chinese grouse has been 

s t a rted as a cooperation between the Nat i o n a l 

N at u ral Sciences Fo u n d ation of China (NSFC) 

and the Deutsche Fo rs ch u n g s ge m e i n s ch a f t 

(DFG) to support the project. A dditional small 

grants have been provided by The Stiftung Av ifauna 

Protecta (SAP) and the BP Conservat i o n 

P rogra m m e. Finances for the continu ation and 

completion of the project is still lack i n g. 

P roceedings 7th Intern at i o n a l 

G rouse Symposium 

The 7th Intern ational Symposium on Gro u s e 

was held in Fo rt Collins, C o l o ra d o , U S A , i n 

S ep t e m b e r, 1996. Hosts we re Clait Bra u n 

(USA) and GSG committee member Kat hy 

M a rtin (Canada). The proceedings we re published 

as a special issue of Wi l d l i fe Biology in 

December 1997, i n cluding all symposium abs 

t racts and a selection of peer- rev i ewed full art 

i cl e s . 

8th Intern ational Grouse 

S y m p o s i u m 


was held at the A rctic Centre in Rova n i e m i , 

n o rt h e rn Fi n l a n d, in Sep t e m b e r, 1999. Local 

Host was GSG committee member Hart o 

Lindén (Finland). The proceedings will be 

p u blished as a special issue of Wi l d l i fe Biology 

in 2000, i n cluding a selection of peer- rev 

i ewed art i cles. At present (Dec 1999), t h e 

rev i ew process is in progre s s . 

G rouse News 

G rouse New s , the newsletter of the GSG, i s 

c o n t i nuing thanks to financial support fro m 

W PA ,the effo rts of Diana Lovel as editor, a n d 

Jane Clacey of W PA who helps with pri n t i n g. 

Two issues are produced annu a l ly. 

F u t u re A c t iv i t i e s 

G rouse Action Plan 

As stated ab ove, the manu s c ript of the fi rs t 

IUCN Grouse Action Plan has been submitted 

to IUCN in August 1999. Publ i c ation is expected 

during the next few months. The plan 

will be distri buted by IUCN, W PA , and the 

G S G. Implementation of the Action Plan and 

re finement of the proposed conservation actions 

will be important activities of the GSG in 

the coming ye a rs . 

GSG Chairmanship and Committee 

M e m b e rs h i p 

The GSG committee are pre s e n t ly wo rking on 

a constitution for the GSG, identifying a set of 

guidelines for topics such as rep re s e n t at i o n 

within the committee, and periods for ch a i rmanship 

and committee membership. Kat hy 

M a rtin is wo rking on a fi rst dra f t . 

9th Intern ational Grouse Symposium 


will be held in China in 2002. Local Host is 

GSG committee member Sun Yu e - H u a 

(China). A l s o ,t h e re is an offer from Emmanu e l 

Ménoni to orga n i ze the 10th Intern at i o n a l 

Symposium on Grouse in 2005 in Fra n c e. 

G rouse News 

G rouse New s , the newsletter of the GSG, w i l l 

c o n t i nue to be produced twice a ye a r, in Ju n e 

and December. 

Ilse Storch , C h a i r 

Species 57

H yaena Specialist Gro u p 

The major ach i evement of the Hyaena Specialist 

Group during the 1997-1999 Triennium wa s 

the publ i c ation of the H yaena Status Survey 

and Conservation Action Plan. In this document 

the most important issues in hyaena cons 

e rvation are add ressed in eleven ch ap t e rs and 

six appendices. These include the taxonomy 

and systematics of the fa m i ly, the major ecol 

ogical and behav i o u ral ch a ra c t e ristics of each 

s p e c i e s , their distri bu t i o n , p o p u l ation assessm 

e n t s , and analyses of thre ats and conservation 

status on a country by country basis. Th e s e 

ch ap t e rs are fo l l owed by ch ap t e rs on the management 

of hyaenas both within and outside of 

c o n s e rvation are a s , s u rvey and census techniques 

and public education. The final ch ap t e r 

discusses ap p ro p ri ate conservation actions and 

lists pri o rity projects that would enhance the 

c o n s e rvation status of the members of the fa mi 

ly. Th e re is also a pre l i m i n a ry PHVA for thre e 

species and a detailed bibl i ograp hy. 

I m p l e m e n t ation of at least some of the actions 

and pri o rity projects is the goal of the 

H yaena Specialist Group for the next tri e n n ium. 

Pe r h aps the biggest pro blem facing hya enas 

is their undeserved bad rep u t ation. To this 

end steps need to be taken to educate and info 

rm people of their true ch a racter and wo rt h . 

As a fi rst step to accomplish this we are in the 

p rocess of producing two hyaena conservat i o n 

e d u c ation posters. One will be a ge n e ral poster 

d epicting all four species of hyaena wh i ch will 

be distri buted throughout ra n ge states as we l l 

as wider afield part i c u l a rly in Europe and 

58 Species 

N o rth A m e rica and will appear in English, 

Fre n ch and Swahili. The second will be a more 

specialised poster depicting the striped hya e n a 

and aimed at issues pertaining to the conservation 

of the species in the A rab wo rld wh e re it 

faces seve re conservation pro blems. Seve ra l 

zoos in the USA and a large South A f ri c a n 

c o m p a ny have provided funding for the poster 

and the National Wi l d l i fe Research Centre of 

Saudi A rabia has indicated its willingness to 

s u p p o rt the A rab project. 

In order to ke ep interested parties ab re a s t 

with developments in the hyaena wo rld the 

H yaena Specialist Group newsletter will become 

a more regular publ i c ation from the occasional 

publ i c ation it was in the past and will 

appear at least once eve ry two ye a rs. The nex t 

issue will appear short ly. 

The striped hyaena is the hyaena ab o u t 

wh i ch least is known and seve ral studies are 

being undert a ken or planned to rectify this 

s t ate of affa i rs in seve ral areas. The Hya e n a 

Specialist Group is lending logistical and exp 

e rtise support to these projects. The spotted 

hyaena has re c e n t ly been shown to be one of 

the pri o rity carn ivo res in A f rica in terms 

of conservation import a n c e. Although the 

s t atus of the species is Lower Risk: C o n s e rvation 

Dependent its status needs to be cl o s e ly 

m o n i t o re d. 

M . G.L. Mills, C h a i r

Inland Water Crustacean Specialist Gro u p 

D u ring the 1997-2000 quadrennium the Inland 

Water Crustacean Specialist Group (IWCSG) 

s t rengthened its cove rage of the highly dive rs e 

n o n - m a rine Crustacea by increasing the nu mber 

of wo rking groups that focus on specifi c 

taxa from one, the Large Bra n chiopod Wo rking 

Gro u p , to thre e. Keith Crandall of Bri g h a m 

Young Unive rsity accepted chair of a Cray fi s h 

Wo rking Gro u p , and Janet Reid of the Smithsonian 

Institution fo rmed a Copepod Wo rk i n g 

G roup. The cray fish and large bra n ch i o p o d 

groups contri buted to the Wo rld Conservat i o n 

M o n i t o ring Centre ’s Fre s h water Biodive rs i t y : 

a pre l i m i n a ry global assessment (1998). 

The three nat ive species of cray fish in Au st 

ria are on the Au s t rian Red List. One seve re 

t h re at they face is cray fish plague spread by int 

roduced North A m e rican cray fish. IWCSG 

m e m b e rs Eri ch Eder and Walter Hödl hope to 

s e c u re protection for the Au s t rian nat ive crayfishes 

through a public info rm ation campaign 

p at t e rned after the ve ry successful one that 

ge n e rated strong public support for large bra nchiopods 

and resulted in the establishment of 

t wo large bra n chiopod nat u re pre s e rves. Th e 

wo rk includes exhibitions and a book dire c t e d 

to the ge n e ral publ i c, fi s h e rm e n , and cray fi s h 

b re e d e rs . 

Specialist group member Boris Sket is 

wo rking to focus attention on the conservat i o n 

needs of cave communities. Crustaceans domi 

n ate the aquatic hab i t at in caves. Protection of 

s u b t e rranean wat e rs re q u i res care for the entire 

s u r face dra i n age area. David C. Culver and 

B o ris Sket (2000) published an art i cl e 

“Hotspots of subterranean biodive rsity in cave s 

and we l l s ” in Jo u rnal of Cave and Karst Studies 

62:11-17. For additional info rm at i o n , c o ntact 

Boris Sket by e-mail: b. s ket@uni-lj.si. 

L a rge Bra n chiopod Wo rking Gro u p 

The LBWG continues to make progress on its 

goal of eva l u ating the status of all fa i ry shri m p s 

(S p e c i e s 28:52). Group members Mich e l l e 

Hamer and Luc Bre n d o n ck eva l u ated fa i ry 

s h rimps in the major hot spot of southern 

A f rica in a paper published in Studies on Large 

B ra n chiopod Biology and Conservat i o n , D evelopments 

in H y d ro b i o l ogy 125 (1997). Th i s 

volume grew out of the Th i rd Intern at i o n a l 

L a rge Bra n chiopod Symposium held in San 

D i ego ,C a l i fo rnia USA in 1996, with the Large 

B ra n chiopod Wo rking Group as one of the 

c o s p o n s o rs. Wo rking group members Denton 

B e l k ,E ri ch Eder, Walter Hödl, G raziella Mura , 

and Bri gita Pe t rov contri buted to the Second 

I n t e rn ational Congress on the Biodive rs i t y, 

E c o l ogy and Conservation of the Balkans 

Fauna held in Ohri d, Macedonia in 1998, w i t h 

eva l u ations of fa i ry shrimps of the Balkans, 

I t a ly, and Au s t ria. A published symposium vo lume 

is in prep a ration. In a fo rthcoming vo l u m e 

of Developments in Hydro b i o l ogy (Adva n c e s 

in Mexican Limnology ) , wo rking group memb 

e rs A l e j a n d ro Maeda-Martínez and Henri Dum 

o n t , along with other co-authors , discuss the 

s t atus of fa i ry shrimp species in Mexico. Denton 

Belk eva l u ated all the species of fa i ry 

s h ri m p s , tadpole shri m p s , and clam shri m p s 

found in the United States and Canada for Th e 

N at u re Conserva n cy using the Nat u ral Heri 

t age Netwo rk cat ego ries. The A s s o c i ation fo r 

B i o d ive rsity Info rm ation will make this dat a 

ava i l able on the Wo rld Wide Web starting in 

S eptember 2000; go to www. ab i . o rg/ and link 

to Nat u re S e rve © . 

The United States Fish and Wi l d l i fe Serv i c e 

a s ked specialist group members Denton Belk 

and Marie Simov i ch to rev i ew their proposal to 

d e s i g n ate critical hab i t at for the fe d e ra l ly protected 

San Diego fa i ry shrimp. 

The LBWG will conduct a wo rkshop on Issues 

in Large Bra n chiopod Conservation at the 

Fo u rth Intern ational Large Bra n chiopod Symposium 

scheduled for 23-27 Ja nu a ry 2000 in 

La Pa z , Baja Califo rnia Sur, M exico. For info 

rm ation or suggestions on the wo rk s h o p , 

contact Denton Belk by e-mail: d b e l k @ t ex a s . 

net. For info rm ation about the meeting, e - m a i l 

your inquiries to A l e j a n d ro Maeda-Mart í n e z : 

i l b s 4 @ c i b n o r.mx. 

Denton Belk, C h a i r 

Species 59

L ago m o rph Specialist Gro u p 

The Lago m o rph Specialist Group (LSG) is res 

p o n s i ble for a re l at ive ly re s t ricted number of 

taxa (80) dispersed throughout the wo rl d, a n d 

the LSG’s composition re flects the pri o ri t i e s 

for establishment of conservation and management 

activities as outlined in the Lago m o rp h 

Action Plan. As such , most activities are coord 

i n ated through the Chair, and there are only 

ra re opportunities for the LSG to function as a 

group. Our only reg u l a rly scheduled meeting is 

at the eve ry - fo u r- year Intern ational Th e ri o l ogical 

Congress (ITC). During this tri e n n i u m ,t h e 

ITC was held in A c ap u l c o ,M ex i c o , in Sep t e mber 

1997. In add i t i o n , the LSG held a meeting 

in conjunction with the Euro - A m e rican Mammal 

Congress in Santiago de Compostela, 

S p a i n , in Ju ly 1998. Both of these meetings 

we re we l l - at t e n d e d, successful and pro d u c t ive, 

and ultimat e ly re a ched a broad cross-section of 

the LSG. Furt h e r, the LSG has no core funding 

and has had difficulty at t racting such funding. 

L a ck of such funding has inhibited commu n ic 

at i o n ,but during the triennium we add re s s e d 

this issue successfully using new ave nu e s 

ava i l able through the electronic medium (highlighted 

below). The issues of commu n i c at i o n 

and funding are the downside of an all-vo l u nteer 

highly dispersed group on a group of 

mammals that does not fall into the big ch a ri sm 

atic cat ego ry. 

C o m mu n i c at i o n s 

D u ring the triennium the LSG active ly wo rke d 

to integrat e, c o m mu n i c at e, and execute its A ction 

Plan and activities. On the commu n i c at i o n 

f ro n t , we established a Home Page on the 

WWW ( ). Ultim 

at e ly we hope to sell adve rtising space on the 

s i t e. This action has served to increase commu 

n i c at i o n , both within and outside our 

G roup. If we are able to ach i eve getting adve rtising 

funds, these will rep resent the fi rst core 

funding the LSG has had, opening doors fo r 

m o re compre h e n s ive conservation planning 

and activities. We have also established a list- 

60 Species 

s e rve, but have not used it as effe c t ive ly as we 

could have. The tro u ble is maintenance, as email 

add resses ch a n ge so fre q u e n t ly. 

F u rt h e r, d evelopment of the Species Info rm 

ation Service will allow the LSG to commun 

i c ate intern a l ly, and with other Specialist 

G roups and associated BCIS consortium partn 

e rs , thus gre at ly enhancing the effe c t ive n e s s 

of our conservation activities. We look fo r wa rd 

also to part i c i p ation in the new ly enhanced 

m e t h o d o l ogy for arriving at Red List cri t e ri a — 

far more part i c i p at o ry and involving a bro a d e r 

c ross-section of the LSG. A high pri o rity fo r 

the LSG is to develop means to wo rk with 

other Specialist Groups in target localities— 

both those with similar taxonomic intere s t s , 

s u ch as other small mammal Gro u p s , and all 

G roups in an area wh e re the pri m a ry interest is 

b i o d ive rsity and its ra m i fi c ations. 

The ab ove plans should gre at ly enhance the 

e ffe c t iveness of the LSG, over the past tri e n n ium 

the Group part i c i p ated in significant cons 

e rvation activities. The majority of the 

a c t ivities of the LSG concentrated on identifi e d 

t h re atened Lago m o rph species. 

C o n s e rvation A c t iv i t i e s 

In Jap a n , LSG members Ken Sugi mu ra and 

Fumio Yamada spearheaded wo rk on the end 

a n ge red Amami Island rabbit. Th ey deve loped 

ve ri fi able quantitat ive census tech n i q u e s 

for the rabbit and its hab i t at—and the re s u l t s 

will soon be published in a leading intern at i o nal 

conservation journal. Furt h e r, the Jap a n e s e 

team assisted in the monitoring of the W C C 

resolution passed concerning the Amami Rabb 

i t , and the LSG began cooperation with the 

I nva s ive Species Specialist Group (as introduced 

mongooses are one of the pri m a ry 

t h re ats to the Amami Rabbit in its re s t ricted island 

hab i t at ) . 

M exico is home to the highest number of 

e n d a n ge red lep o rids in the wo rl d, thus the LSG 

has paid special attention to this area. A dive 

rse team of LSG vo l u n t e e rs continues to

monitor and provide conservation action to 

these species, in concert with their locally 

founded NGO–AMCELA (Asociacion Mex icana 

para la Conservacion y Estudio de los 

L ago m o r fos). Th ey are bra n ching out with 

c o m munity-based initiat ives and eco-touri s m 

plans designed to protect hab i t at and bring attention 

to the plight of Mexican lago m o rp h s . 

The Action Plan identified the Hainan Hare 

as a species of special concern because of the 

potential for endange rment due to over harvesting 

and hab i t at destruction. LSG Chair A nd 

rew Smith surveyed this species when in 

Hainan for a meeting of the CCICED Biodive 

rsity Wo rking Gro u p . 

Th e re are many thre atened rabbits in A s i a , 

and during the triennium LSG members made 

m a ny advancements to increase our understanding 

of their status. A new LSG member, 

G o p i n athan Mahwswa ra n , is initiating a comp 

re h e n s ive field program to determine the 

h ab i t at re l ationships of the endange red Hispid 

H a re. One new fo rm was discove red in a market 

in Laos, and LSG volunteer Diana Bell’s 

l ab conducted the defi n i t ive genetic analy s e s 

s h owing that it was indeed a new species and 

o n ly distantly re l ated to the Samat ran Hare 

( p u blished in Nat u re). The Samat ran Hare, o n 

the other hand, was cap t u red for the fi rst time 

since the beginning of the century—on a noct 

u rnal trip camera operated by FFI. 

Member Vi c t o ria Ahlmann has started the 

“ R ive rine Rabbit Conservation Pro j e c t ” wh i ch 

for the fi rst time is uniting fa rm e rs and ra n ch- 

e rs ,p rotected areas manage rs ,c ap t ive bre e d i n g 

s p e c i a l i s t s , and conservationists to develop a 

b road-based conservation plan for this endange 

red species in South A f ri c a . 

Member Toshimi Ich i k awa founded the 

Pika Fan Club of Jap a n , wh i ch has become the 

l a rgest env i ronmental gra s s - roots orga n i z at i o n 

in the country. This NGO successfully pro t e c ted 

hab i t at of the Nort h e rn Pika in the large s t 

and most pristine Japanese national park on 

H o k k a i d o — wh i ch was at risk of deve l o p m e n t . 

A major pika symposium was hosted and included 

pre s e n t ations by Chair A n d rew Smith 

and member Ta keo Kawa m i ch i . 

A n d rew Smith also developed a major 

a n a lysis showing that the Plateau Pika of China 

is a keystone species for biodive rs i t y, eve n 

though it is curre n t ly poisoned as a pest animal 

over large expanses. This result was pre s e n t e d 

at two intern ational meetings and published in 

Animal Conservat i o n . 

The ab ove paragraphs give the fl avor of 

LSG activities during the tri e n n i u m , a l t h o u g h 

t h ey by no means cap t u re all of the Gro u p ’s act 

ivities. Looking ahead, the Group plans to 

c o n t i nue its active wo rk and increase its linkages 

intern a l ly and with other Specialist 

G ro u p s . 

A n d rew T. Smith, C h a i r 

Species 61

M a d agascar and Mascarene Reptile and 

Amphibian Specialist Gro u p 

The fo rmer Madagascar Reptile and A m p h i bian 

Specialist Group undertook seve ra l 

ch a n ges during the 1996-2000 triennium. It 

was ge ograp h i c a l ly extended from Madaga s c a r 

to also include the Mascarene Islands and the 

C o m o ros and a new group Chair (Gera l d 

Ku chling) was appointed in late 1998. 1999 

was the year of the re - o rga n i s ation of the 

M a d agascar and Mascarene Reptile and A mphibian 

Specialist Group wh i ch now has ab o u t 

30 members , with local rep re s e n t ations fro m 

most Island groups (there is yet no member 

f rom the Comoros). The group activities during 

the 1996-2000 triennium have to be seen in 

the light of those ch a n ges wh i ch only took 

place towa rds the end of the tri e n n i u m . 

An inaugural issue of the Madagascar and 

M a s c a rene Reptile and Amphibian Specialist 

G ro u p ’s Newsletter was posted to all members 

in November 1999. This fi rst issue cove red res 

e a rch and conservation activities in Madaga scar 

and the Sey chelles. The second issue is just 

being compiled and will focus mainly on Mauritius 

and surrounding Islands. A purpose of 

the newsletter is to be a ve h i cle for group memb 

e rs to commu n i c ate intern a l ly their activ i t i e s 

rega rding herp surveys and conservation activities 

in the region. Although some import a n t 

a c t ivities are taking place, until now little info 

rm ation ex ch a n ge took place between indep 

e n d e n t ly wo rking ex p e rt s . 

62 Species 

S eve ral group members we re taking part in 

the CITES Animals Committee Meeting in 

M a d agascar in Ju ly 1999 and/or we re active ly 

i nvo l ved in the eva l u ation of listing pro p o s a l s 

for Malagasy herp species for the CITES A n imal 

Committee meeting in Ap ril 2000. Tra d e, 

m a i n ly pet tra d e, is of concern for some res 

t ricted and highly sought after species and the 

eva l u ation of sustainability of these operat i o n s 

and the development of monitoring mech anisms 

is critical. A major focus of the group fo r 

the next triennium will be to eva l u ate the ex i s ting 

listing of reptiles and amphibians of the 

M a l agasy and Mascarene region in the IUCN 

Red List, wh i ch is rather insufficient and does 

not ap p ro p ri at e ly re flect actual levels of thre at , 

and to compile a new Red List based on the 

n ew Red List cri t e ria wh i ch are curre n t ly under 

revision. This process is under way and will 

pinpoint species with high conservation needs 

wh i ch are curre n t ly not listed. This will imp 

rove the usefulness of the Red List as a wo rking 

tool, for example as a basis for future 

CITES listings, for an action plan for the region 

and for field conservation projects. 

G e rald Ku ch l i n g, C h a i r

M a rine Tu rtle Specialist Gro u p 

D u ring the 1997-1999 tri e n n i u m , the Mari n e 

Tu rtle Specialist Group (MTSG) focused its effo 

rts on strengthening regional programs and 

regional netwo rks. We have provided tech n i c a l 

ex p e rt i s e, o rga n i zed and supported wo rk s h o p s , 

and assisted strat egic planning and progra m 

d evelopment around the wo rl d. By collab o rating 

with gove rnments and re s o u rce manage rs 

to effect regional conservation and managem 

e n t , the MTSG and its members are lay i n g 

the fo u n d ation for the re c ove ry of depleted and 

d e clining populations of marine turtles. 

The MTSG promotes dive rs i t y, and duri n g 

this tri e n n i u m , the group increased to 302 

m e m b e rs from 73 countries. Fo l l owing the re si 

g n ation of Maria (Neca) Marc ovaldi in 1998, 

F. A l b e rto A b reu Grobois from the Instituto de 

Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia UNA M 

( M a z at l a n , M exico) was appointed Chair. In 

a ddition to continuing Neca’s effo rts to dive rsify 

the group and expand its ge ographical repre 

s e n t at i o n , A l b e rto has decentra l i zed the 

MTSG by appointing six Regional Vi c e 

C h a i rs : Pamela Plotkin for the NW A t l a n t i c ; 

Hedelvy Guada for the wider Cari bbean and 

SW Atlantic; Dimitris Marga ritoulis for the 

M e d i t e rranean and NE Atlantic; Saif A l - G h a i s 

for the A rabian Sea and We s t e rn Indian Ocean; 

Colin Limpus for Au s t ralasia; and George Balazs 

for the Pa c i fic Islands. Decentra l i z at i o n 

will benefit individual members by stre n g t h e ning 

regional ties and increasing commu n i c ation 

with the MTSG leadership. 

D u ring the tri e n n i u m , the MTSG and its 

m e m b e rs have orga n i ze d, s u p p o rted and part 

i c i p ated in regional training wo rkshops and 

s t rat egic planning sessions in the We s t e rn 

H e m i s p h e re, A s i a , A f ri c a , and the Mediterranean. 

In early 1997 the MTSG assisted 

P ri yambada Mohanty-Hejmadi and Pa m e l a 

Plotkin to orga n i ze a Strat egic Planning Session 

and Training Wo rkshop in Bhubaneswa r, 

I n d i a , with participants from nine countries in 

the nort h e rn Indian Ocean. The MTSG also assisted 

Rod Salm to host a Tu rtle Excluder Device 

(TED) training wo rkshop in Ke nya fo r 

we s t e rn Indian Ocean re s o u rce manage rs and 

fi s h e rmen. In 1999 Cheng I-Juinn hosted an int 

e rn ational wo rkshop on the migrat i o n , fo raging 

hab i t at s , and nesting ecology of gre e n 

t u rtles in Ta i wa n , with Regional Vice Chair 

G e o rge Balazs serving as the scientific adv i s o r. 

N i ck Pilcher orga n i zed the second ASEAN Sea 

Tu rtle Wo rkshop in Malaysia in 1999 in wh i ch 

nu m e rous MTSG members part i c i p at e d. 

O rga n i zed effo rts to promote marine turt l e 

c o n s e rvation have been ongoing in the Medi 

t e rranean since the early 1970s. MTSG memb 

e rs part i c i p ated in a Meeting of Expert s 

c o nvened on the implementation of the A c t i o n 

Plan for the Conservation of Mediterra n e a n 

Sea Tu rtles in late 1998. In 1999 meetings 

we re held in Tu rkey and Malta to establish of a 

regional netwo rk of nongove rnmental ex p e rt s . 

R e c e n t ly, R egional Vice Chair Dimitris Marga 

ritoulis was instrumental in establishing a 

M e d i t e rranean listserv. In 1999, ye a rs of effo rt 

by MTSG members and their Mediterra n e a n 

c o l l e agues culminated in the establishment of 

G re e c e ’s Zakynthos Marine Pa rk for turtles. A t 

the end of 1999 Dimitris Marga ritoulis rep resented 

the MTSG at the fi rst marine turtle technical 

wo rkshop in Libya , an area that is 

c ri t i c a l ly important for loggerhead turtles. Marine 

turtles are a pri o rity for the Convention on 

M i grat o ry Species (CMS), with Regional Vi c e 

Chair Colin Limpus also serving as the CMS 

councilor for marine turtles. CMS has prov i ded 

funding to support many of the initiat ive s 

mentioned ab ove. In add i t i o n , in 1997 and 

1998 Jacques Fre t ey conducted seve ral handson 

training wo rkshops for turtle conservat i o nists 

in West A f rica on behalf of CMS. 

D u ring the last three ye a rs , MTSG memb 

e rs have mounted a major campaign to promote 

the signat u re and rat i fi c ation of the Inter 

A m e rican Convention for the Protection and 

C o n s e rvation of Sea Tu rtles (IAC ) , the wo rl d ’s 

fi rst tre aty dedicated to sea turtles. Ve n e z u e l a , 

Pe ru , Costa Rica and Brazil have rat i fied the 

t re aty; Mexico has rat i fied but has not yet deposited 

its instrument. The tre aty is expected to 

come into fo rce in 2000 or 2001, 90 days after 

rat i fi c ation by eight countries. 

Species 63

In the Indian Ocean the activities of the 

M T S G, I U C N, and IUCN Regional Offi c e s 

complement each other in promoting a regi o n - 

wide agreement for marine turtle conservat i o n . 

In October 1999 rep re s e n t at ives from 23 count 

ries attended an intergove rnmental meeting in 

Pe rt h , Au s t ralia to initiate discussions. Wo rking 

cl o s e ly with IUCN and its Regional Offi c e s 

in the Indian Ocean, Colin Limpus served as 

the Chair of the MTSG ex p e rt panel. MTSG 

m e m b e rs also served on country delegat i o n s . 

CMS is part i c i p ating in this initiat ive, and nego 

t i ations for the development of a Regi o n a l 

A greement on the Conservation and Management 

of Marine Tu rtles and Their Hab i t ats in 

the Indian Ocean and South-East Asian Regi o n 

will continue in 2000. 

In November 1999 the MTSG, U N E P 

C a ri bbean Env i ronment Progra m m e, Wo rl d 

Wi l d l i fe Fund, and WIDECAST (Wi d e r 

C a ri bbean Sea Tu rtle Conservation Netwo rk ) 

c o - s p o n s o red a meeting entitled Marine Tu rt l e 

C o n s e rvation in the Wider Cari bb e a n : A Dial 

ogue for Effe c t ive Regional Manage m e n t . 

Hosted by the Gove rnment of the Dominican 

R ep u blic and attended by gove rnment delegates 

and ex p e rts from 27 countries and territ 

o ries in the Wider Cari bb e a n , re s o u rc e 

m a n age rs and the intern ational scientific community 

identified regional management needs 

and developed re c o m m e n d ations. 

MTSG Task Fo rces serve as important links 

to the larger marine turtle community as they 

i n clude individuals who are not members of 

the group. Focusing on the impending ex t i n ction 

of the leat h e r b a ck in the Pa c i fi c, t h e 

L e at h e r b a ck Task Fo rc e, led by Jim Spotila, 

p rovided critical scientific evidence that re s u l ted 

in large area cl o s u res in the Pa c i fic to US 

longline fleets. Development of a Global Strategy 

and Action Plan for Hawksbill Sea Tu rt l e s 

is the top pri o rity of the Hawksbill Task Fo rc e 

and its Chair Jeanne Mort i m e r. Charles Ta m b ia 

h , the Chair of the Community Pa rt i c i p at i o n 

Task Fo rc e, has developed mat e rials show c a sing 

the activities of community progra m s 

64 Species 

a round the wo rl d. As the Chair of the Red List 

Task Fo rc e, in 1999 Deb o rah Crouse orga n i ze d 

comments on proposed ch a n ges to the Red List 

c ri t e ria and will ove rsee the MTSG’s re s p o n s e 

to ch a l l e n ges to species listings by those interested 

in promoting intern ational turtle tra d e. 

The pri o rity of the Education Task Fo rce is 

completion of a Model Marine Tu rtle Conservation 

Education Manual. Larry Crowder and 

Milani Chaloupka re c e n t ly have agreed to 

chair two new Task Fo rces for Bycat ch Reduction 

and the Sustainable Use of Marine Tu rt l e s , 

re s p e c t ive ly. 

D u ring the development of A Global Strategy 

for the Conservation of Sea Tu rt l e s , t h e 

MTSG identified the production of a hands-on 

t e chnical manual as a pri o ri t y. More than 100 

i n d ividuals from around the wo rld contri bu t e d 

to the production of Research and Management 

Te chniques for the Conservation of Sea 

Tu rt l e s ,wh i ch was published in 1999. Spanish 

and Fre n ch editions are in process. More than 

1,500 English copies have been distri bu t e d 

a round the wo rld to dat e, highlighting the ro l e 

of the MTSG as a re s o u rce for hundreds of 

p rograms and individuals outside the SSC netwo 

rk. 

The MTSG is grateful to our many supporte 

rs ,i n cluding the Center for Marine Conservat 

i o n ,the Convention on Migrat o ry Species, t h e 

US National Marine Fi s h e ries Serv i c e, I U C N - 

The Wo rld Conservation Union, United 

N ations Env i ronment Progra m – C a ri bb e a n 

P rogramme and WWF for funding projects and 

p u bl i c ations during the triennium. We also 

thank the Center for Marine Conservation fo r 

its continuing administrat ive and logi s t i c a l 

s u p p o rt. Lastly, we thank our hard - wo rk i n g 

m e m b e rs who gra c i o u s ly have vo l u n t e e re d 

their talent and time to assist us. 

M a rydele Donnelly, P rogram Offi c e r 

E - m a i l :m d o n n e l ly @ d c c m c. o rg

M egapode Specialist Group (WPA / B i rd L i fe / S S C ) 

Th i rd Intern ational 

M egapode Symposium 

The main event for the Megapode Specialist 

G roup in 1997 was the Th i rd Intern at i o n a l 

M egapode Symposium wh i ch was held in 

N h i l l ,Au s t ralia. Sixty members from nine diffe 

rent countries gat h e red in December in the 

Little Desert Lodge, owned by one of our 

m e m b e rs ,Wh i m p ey Reich e l t . 

Twenty pap e rs we re given on topics ra n gi n g 

f rom extinct megapodes to the conservat i o n 

and cap t ive breeding of extant species and 

f rom phy l ogenetic re l ationships to behav i o u r 

and ecology. Special attention was given to 

Au s t ra l i a ’s endange red Malleefowl L e i p o a 

o c e l l at a ,a species present in the mallee hab i t at 

at the confe rence ve nue and active ly wo rk i n g 

on their mounds during our stay at the lodge. 

An ex t e n s ive summary of the symposium, 

ap p e a red in the M egapode New s l e t t e r(see 12: 

1-4) and the proceedings we re published as a 

special issue of Z o o l ogi s che Ve r h a n d e l i n ge n, 

the journal of the National Museum of Nat u ra l 

H i s t o ry, Leiden. It includes 13 pap e rs pre s e n ted 

at the symposium as well as a bibl i ograp hy 

of recent megapode literat u re. The fo rewo rd is 

by Keith How m a n , P resident of the Wo rl d 

Pheasant A s s o c i at i o n . 

D e k ke r, R . W. R . J. , D. N. Jones & J. Benshemesh 

(eds). 1999. Proceedings of the Th i rd 

I n t e rn ational Megapode Symposium, N h i l l , 

Au s t ra l i a , December 1997. Zoologi s che Ve rh 

a n d e l i n gen 327: 1-174. ISBN 90-73239-71-0. 

M egapode Action Plan 2000–2004 

In close cooperation with W PA ,B i rd L i fe Int 

e rn ational and the other W PA / B i rd L i fe / I U C N 

ga l l i fo rm Specialist Gro u p s , and under the sup 

e rvision and editorship of Rich a rd Fuller 

( s u p p o rted by W PA ) ,the new Megapode A ction 

Plan 2000-2004 was drafted and sent to 

the IUCN in Gland for publ i c ation. It contains 

u p d ated info rm ation on the status and conservation 

of the tre atened megapode taxa. One 

species (Po lynesian megapode M egap o d i u s 

p ri t ch a rd i i) is considered cri t i c a l ly endan- 

ge re d, t wo (the Micronesian megapode M. lape 

ro u s e and the Biak megapode M. ge e l v i nk 

i a nu s) are endange re d, while six species 

( B ru i j n ’s bru s h - t u rkey A epypodius bru i j n i i , 

M a l l e e fowl Leipoa ocellat a , Maleo M a c roc 

ephalon maleo, Moluccan megapode E u l i p o a 

wa l l a c e i ,Nicobar megapode M. nicobari e n s i s 

and Va nu atu megapode M. laya rd i) are vulnerabl 

e. Twenty projects are proposed for implem 

e n t ation in the action plan period 2000-2004. 

D e k ke r, R . W. R . J. , R.A. Fuller & G. C . 

B a ker (eds) (in press). Status Survey and Cons 

e rvation Action Plan 2000-2004. Megap o d e s . 

I U C N, G l a n d. 

Field Pro j e c t s 

The fo l l owing species we re under study by 

m e m b e rs of the Megapode Specialist Gro u p 

d u ring 1997-1999: 

• Au s t ralian bru s h - t u rkey A l e c t u ra lat h a m i , 

Au s t ra l i a ,S. Wo n g, A. Göth 


Au s t ralia and U. K . , 1998 joint NERC gra n t 

b e t ween DN Jones (Gri ffith Unive rsity) and 

T. Burke (Sheffield Unive rs i t y ) : S p e rm 

competition in Au s t ralian Bru s h - t u rkey s . 


Au s t ra l i a ,U. K . ,G e rm a ny, 1998. D.N Jo n e s 

& H. Pro c t o r. Au s t ralian bru s h - t u rkey paras 

i t e s : i m p l i c ations for inter- p o p u l ation re l at 

i o n s h i p s . 

• M a l l e e fowl Leipoa ocellat a , Au s t ra l i a ,va rious 

re s e a rch e rs / gro u p s 

• Maleo M a c ro c ephalon maleo, S u l awe s i , 

Gillian Baker & Stuart Butch a rt 

• Moluccan megapode Eulipoa wa l l a c e i, 

H a ru k u , K. Heij 

• Nicobar megapode M egapodius nicob 

a ri e n s i s , Nicobar Islands, R. Sankaran & 

K. Siva k u m a r 

• Melanesian megapode M egapodius ere m it 

a , Solomon Islands, R. Sincl a i r 

Species 65

The Megapode New s l e t t e r 

The Megapode Newsletter was published once 

or twice each year during the tri e n n i u m . 

A Selection of Publ i c ations by 

M e m b e rs of the Megapode 

Specialist Gro u p 

B a ke r, G. 1997. The Moluccan Megap o d e : 

B i rd of the Spice Islands. Wo rld Pheasant 

A s s o c i ation News 53: 2 1 - 2 4 . 

B a ke r, G. 1998. Maleo survey and educat i o n 

p roject. Phase 1: Ju n e – August 1998. Unp 

u bl. Rep. 17 pp. 

B i rk s , S. 1997. Pat e rnity in the Au s t ra l i a n 

b ru s h - t u rkey, A l e c t u ra lat h a m i ,a megap o d e 

b i rd with uniparental male care. Behav i o u ral 

Ecology 8: 5 6 0 - 5 6 8 . 

B i rk s , S. M. 1999. Unusual timing of copulations 

in the Au s t ralian Bru s h - t u rkey. Th e 

Auk 116 (1): 1 6 9 - 1 7 7 . 

B u t ch a rt ,S.H. et al. 1998. The status of Maleo 

in we s t e rn Central Sulawesi. Prelim. Rep . 

Maleo Survey Pro j e c t : Phase 2. 35 pp. 

Fo s t e r, T. 1999. Update on the Va nu at u 

M egapode Megapodius laya rdi on A mb 

ry m , Va nu atu. Bird Conservation Intern ational 

9: 6 3 - 7 1 . 

G ö t h ,A. & Voge l , U. 1999. Notes on bre e d i n g 

and conservation of birds on Niuafo’ou Isl 

a n d, Kingdom of To n ga. Pa c i fic Conservation 

Biology, 5 : 1 0 3 - 1 1 4 . 

H a ro l d, G. & Dennings, S. 1998. The Fi rst Five 

Ye a rs 1992–1997. A rep o rt by the 

M a l l e e fowl Pre s e rvation Group. Malleefowl 

Pre s e rvation Gro u p ,O n ge ru p , We s t e rn 

Au s t ralia. ISBN 0 646 321005. 97 pp. 

H e i j , C . J. , C . F.E. Rompas & C.W. Moelike r. 

1997. The biology of the Moluccan 

m egapode Eulipoa wallacei (Ave s , G a l l ifo 

rm e s , M egapodiidae) on Haruku and 

other Moluccan Islands; part 2: final rep o rt . 

Deinsea 3: 1 - 1 2 4 . 

M ey, E. 1997. Die Goniodiden (Insecta, P h t h irap 

t e ra , I s ch n o c e ra) der Gro s s f u s s h u h n e r 

( M egapodiidae). Rudolstadter Nat u r h i st 

o ri s che Sch riften 8: 1 9 - 4 4 . 

66 Species 

M ey, E. 1999. Neue, auf Gro s s f u s s h ü h n e rn 

( M egapodiidae) lebende und zumeist aus 

Indonesien stammende Fe d e rl i n ge (Insecta, 

P h t h i rap t e ra : A m bly c e ra & Isch n o c e ra ) . 

Rüdolstädter nat. hist. Sch r. ,Suppl. 3: 1 1 9 - 

1 3 7 . 

P ro c t o r, H.C. 1999. Gallilichus jonesi sp. n. 

( A c a ri : A s c o u ra c a ri d a e ) :A new species of 

fe ather mite from the quills of the Au st 

ralian bru s h - t u rkey (Ave s : M egap o d i i d a e ) . 

Au s t ralian Jo u rnal of Entomology, 3 8 , 7 7 - 

8 4 . 

We at h e rs , W. W. & Sey m o u r, R . S. 1998. Beh 

aviour and time-activity bu d gets of 

M a l l e e fowl Leipoa ocellata in South Au st 

ralia. Emu , 9 8 , 2 8 8 - 2 9 6 . 

Wo n g, S. 1998. Estimating the hat ch dates of 

Au s t ralian bru s h - t u rkey embryos by cand 

l i n g. Wi l d l i fe Research 25: 6 6 9 - 6 7 6 . 

Th e s i s 

S h a ron Wong successfully completed her doct 

o ral programme at Gri ffith Unive rs i t y, B ri sb 

a n e, Au s t ra l i a , in October 1999. Her thesis 

was the fi rst detailed study of the behav i o u r 

and development of hat chling megap o d e s , focussing 

on Au s t ralian Bru s h - t u rkeys. One of 

her conclusions was that megapodes do not und 

e rgo impri n t i n g, an otherwise unive rsal ga l l ifo 

rm fe at u re. 

Fo u rth Intern ational 

M egapode Symposium 

By the time this issue of S p e c i e s ap p e a rs we 

will have held our 4th intern ational megap o d e 

meeting It is scheduled as a regi s t e red symposium 

entitled “ M egap o d e s : p a s t , p resent & fut 

u re ” in June 2000 at the 2nd Southern 

H e m i s p h e re Orn i t h o l ogical Congress (Bri sb 

a n e, Au s t ra l i a , Ju n e - Ju ly 2000). Despite a 

limited amount of time ava i l able of only two 

h o u rs , s even speake rs , all members of the 

M egapode Specialist Gro u p , will present an 

o ral pap e r. 

R . W. R . J. Dekke r, C h a i r

Mollusc Specialist Gro u p 

I nvo l vement in SSC A c t iv i t i e s 

Both Mary Seddon and Winston Ponder we re 

i nvited to part i c i p ate in the some of the SSC 

Red List cri t e ria rev i ew wo rkshops using their 

ex p e rience of eva l u ating Molluscs for Th e 

1996 Red List of Th re atened A n i m a l s . M o lluscs 

are quite a rep re s e n t at ive group for eva lu 

ation of the impact of ch a n ging the cri t e ri a ,a s 

t h ey ra n ge from long-lived species with long 

ge n e ration times to small species with short 

ge n e rations times and ve ry small ra n ge sizes. 

In the last few months group have rev i ewe d 

about 20% of the species curre n t ly listed as 

Th re atened on the 1996 Red List, and will be 

focussing on completing full documentation of 

all species listed by 2003. All new species listed 

re q u i re full documentat i o n , and these profiles 

will be tra n s fe rred to SIS when the system 

is fully operational. The group have been invo 

l ved in testing the SIS softwa re during its development 

in the last two ye a rs . 

N ewsletter Funding 

The lack of a proper funding basis has impeded 

the production of Te n t a cl e for the last 18 

months. Howeve r, funding for a single issue 

e a ch year has been secured from Unitas Malac 

o l ogi a , and Robert Cowie is now putting together 

another issue of the newsletter wh i ch he 

expects to distri bute in summer 2000. 

Action Plan 

Philippe Bouchet and Oliver Gargi n o my cont 

i nue to draw up more regional accounts for the 

Land and Fre s h water Mollusc Action Plan. In 

the last 18 months attention has focussed on 

South A m e ri c a ,and Mari Cristina Mansur has 

visited Pa ris Museum to assist with the compil 

ation of the status of Molluscs from the count 

ries in this large continent. Th e re are now 

m a ny country accounts by specialists sitting on 

fi l e, re a dy for the production of the A c t i o n 

Plan. 

N ew Web - S i t e 

C h a rles Ly d i a rd, a new member to the Mollusc 

Specialist Gro u p , has put together a web - s i t e 

for the gro u p , with copies of the minutes of 

meetings and PDF files of the last New s l e t t e r. 

It can be located from the SSC home page. 

M e e t i n g s 

The last meeting of the Mollusc Specialist 

group was held at the Wo rld Malacologi c a l 

C o n gress in Washington in Ju ly 1998. Despite 

the lack of a specific session add ressing Molluscan 

conservat i o n , m a ny of the members 

p resented pap e rs at this meeting in the Man 

and Molluscs confe rence sessions on their current 

areas of re s e a rch such as: 

• Impacts of alien species on nat ive faunas 

• A n a lyses of Molluscan Biodive rsity in key 

h ab i t ats or regions of high endemism. 

• Some of these pap e rs will be ap p e a ri n g 

soon in the next issue of the journal Malac 

o l ogi a . 

The next Wo rld Malacological Congre s s 

will be held in Vienna in August 2001, with a 

p rincipal confe rence session focussed on Molluscan 

Biodive rsity and Conservation. It is ant 

i c i p ated that the results of this confe rence will 

be published as a special volume of a journ a l . 

The last confe rence on this topic was held in 

C a rd i ff in late 1996, and many MSG members 

p resented wo rk , wh i ch is written up in the proceedings 

volume published in Ju ly 1998 as a 

special publ i c ation of the Jo u rnal of Conch o logy 

( p u blished by the Conch o l ogical Society 

of Gre at Britain & Ire l a n d, one of the co-orga 

n i s e rs with additional sponsorship fro m 

C o u n t ryside Council for Wales and English 

N at u re). Molluscan Conservat i o n : A Strat egy 

for the 21st Century. Jo u rnal of Conch o l ogy 

Special Publ i c ation 2. Eds. Killeen, I . J. , S e dd 

o n , M . B. & Holmes, A.M. Cost UK £35 (in- 

Species 67

clude postage — s u r face mail and pack i n g 

costs). Note only sterling cheques or bank 

d rafts to Conch o l ogical Society of Gre at 

B ritain and Ireland will be accep t e d. 


M a ny members are active within their local 

a re a s , and are invo l ved in planning for nat i o nal 

biodive rsity inve n t o ries and management of 

their local ra re species. Occasionally there are 

calls to the group members to mobilise activ i t y 

on a wider scale. One such ex a m p l e, wh i ch 

was a success story is given here. 

The To kyo Metropolitan Gove rnment has 

s h e l ved its plan to build an airp o rt on the Ogas 

awa ran island of Anijima (To m i yama & 

A s a m i ,1998 issue of Te n t a cl e). This is a major 

c o n s e rvation success story, and is especially 

68 Species 

i m p o rtant for the endemic land snail fauna of 

the island. The intern ational pre s s u re bro u g h t 

to bear on the To kyo Gove rnment came ab o u t 

o n ly as a result of the publicising of the issue 

t h rough the internet and in new s l e t t e rs and 

other ve h i cl e s , l i ke Te n t a cl e (see issues 6 and 

7). The committed people who instigated this 

p u blicity campaign should be proud of their 

success. But as To m i yama and Asami note, 

v i gilance remains necessary, as the final decision 

on the location of the new airp o rt has not 

been decided. 

M a ry Sedd o n , C o - chair 

E - m a i l :M a ry. S e dd o n @ n m g w. a c.uk. 

Fa x : 4 4 - 2 9 2 - 0 2 3 9 - 0 0 9

N ew Wo rld Pelican Specialist Group (WI/Bird L i fe / S S C ) 

Although little has been rep o rted rega rding act 

ivties of the New Wo rld Pelican Gro u p , s o m e 

a c t ivities have tra n s p i red in re l ation to the two 

N o rth A m e rican species of pelicans, and involving 

members of this Specialist Gro u p . 

C o l o rado River Delta 

The Colorado River Delta area (a designat e d 

RAMSAR site) in southwe s t e rn US and nort hwe 

s t e rn Mexico is one of the most ecologi c a lly 

degraded delta wetlands in North A m e ri c a . 

It includes the Salton Sea wh e re signifi c a n t 

d i s e a s e - re l ated dieoffs of both species of pelicans 

as well as other wat e r b i rd species have rec 

e n t ly occurre d. Histori c a l ly, this area was one 

of the ri chest in biodive rsity in this part of the 

continent and both species of pelicans (as we l l 

as hundreds of other species of migrat o ry bird s 

in the so-called Pa c i fic Fly way) import a n t ly 

u t i l i zed this area during their post-breeding and 

m i gration phases. The region still remains a 

c ritical hab i t at rega rding connectivity in the 

s o u t h e rn Pa c i fic Fly way system. Recent effo rt s 

h ave begun to more adequat e ly study and to res 

t o re these degraded migrat o ry bird hab i t ats on 

both sides of the bord e r. In August 1999, at the 

I n t e rn ational Congress for Ecosystem Health, 

a session entitled: “ The Rio Colorado Delta: 

ecosystem pro blems and management at the 

United Stat e s — M exico bord e r ” , was pre s e n te 

d. This session was orga n i zed under the 

auspices of the Unive rsity of Califo rnia Cons 

o rtium on the United States and Mex i c o 

(UCMEXUS) and the New Wo rld Pelican Specialist 

Gro u p , c o - ch a i red D. W. A n d e rs o n ,wh o 

also orga n i zed this symposium. The five pres 

e n t ations in this session are curre n t ly in the 

editing phase and will be published in the Congress 

pro c e e d i n g s ,expected by Fall 2000. 

S y m p o s i u m 

A one day symposium on the biology and status 

of North A m e rican white pelicans is curre 

n t ly being orga n i zed (for pre s e n t ation in 

2000) by two members of the New Wo rld Pe lican 

Specialist Gro u p ,D. T. King and D. W. A nd 

e rson. In conjunction with this wo rk , will be 

a continent-wide population survey of the 

species in the summer of 2000, o rga n i zed by 

D. T. King. 

C a l i fo rnia Brown Pe l i c a n 

S eve ral members of the New Wo rld Pe l i c a n 

Specialist Group will be wo rking in 2000 to 

rev i ew the justifi c ations for or against dow nlisting 

the Califo rnia brown pelcian subs 

p e c i e s ,and presenting their re c o m m e n d at i o n s 

to the Pa c i fic Seab i rd Gro u p . 

D. W. A n d e rs o n ,C o - o rd i n at o r 

Species 69

O rt h o p t e roid Insects Specialist Gro u p 

D. Rentz, C h a i r, t ravelled to Myanmar in October 

1998 with an intern ational group of entom 

o l ogists to teach basic entomology to 

students and parks ra n ge rs in the Chat t h i n 

Wi l d l i fe Sanctuary in the Sagaing Div i s i o n . 

The two week training course was pre s e n t e d 

by nine instru c t o rs and had 26 part i c i p a n t s . 

Th ey we re a most eager and re c ep t ive gro u p 

and this was transmitted to the instru c t o rs wh o 

c o nveyed their know l e d ge with enthusiasm. 

The students we re left with the ability to carry 

out entomological surveys and re fe rence collection 

for identifi c ation. 

This listing of species considered to be end 

a n ge red or thre atened in the fi rst two vo l u m e s 

of the Te t t i goniidae of Au s t ralia continues to be 

a tool used by state gove rnments that are act 

ive ly trying to protect their fauna. D. Rentz 

and Y. N. Su traveled to We s t e rn Au s t ralia in 

October 1999 at the inv i t ation of the state gove 

rnment to attempt to determine whether seve 

ral tettigoniid species listed in the ab ove book 

we re still in ex i s t e n c e. The trip and some of the 

results can be viewed on http://viceroy. e eb. 

u c o n n . e d u / WA / we s t e rn _ a u s alia.htm. t r A nu mber 

of species we re found to have more ex t e ns 

ive distri butions than ori gi n a l ly indicated and 

o t h e rs we re found to be seri o u s ly thre atened by 

d eve l o p m e n t ,m o s t ly encro a chment on hab i t at 

by housing in the Pe rth are a . 

Similar inve s t i gations in the Canberra region 

have revealed that two gra s s h o p p e r 

s p e c i e s , the morabine Keya c ris scurra ( R e h n ) 

and the Pe ru n ga , Pe ru n ga och ra c e a S j ö s t e d t 

a re more common and more widespread than 

o ri gi n a l ly thought. Howeve r, t h ey have rat h e r 

n a rrow hab i t at re q u i rements that necessitat e 

maintaining grasslands with nat ive grasses and 

reducing or eliminating rampant imports of 

m o s t ly European species. 

Member Rep o rt s 

D avid Weissman in Califo rnia rep o rt s : On the 

b a n d - w i n ged gra s s h o p p e r, Tri n m e ro t ropis infantilis 

R and W, t h at the Fish and Wi l d l i fe Service 

has ap p rox i m at e ly $20,000 for re s e a rch 

70 Species 

on the gra s s h o p p e r. David is seeking a pers o n 

to re s e a rch the gra s s h o p p e r ’s food hab i t s , d i sp 

e rsal ab i l i t i e s ,p o p u l ation size, e t c. 

M i chael Samy ways in South A f rica rep o rt s : 

“ The only rhap h i d o p h o rid (Cave Cri cket) in 

south A f rica S p e l e i a c ris tabu l a e is confined to 

the sandstone caves of Table Mountain, C ap e 

Town. As such , it is ve ry vulnerable to anthrop 

ogenic disturbance. It is curre n t ly listed as 

E n d a n ge re d. In a recent study (B i o d ive rs i t y 

and Conservat i o n [2000] 9:107-143), it wa s 

e c o l ogi c a l ly cat ego ri zed as a trog l o p h i l e, w i t h 

an extent of occurrence of

ve ry interesting bioge ographic area with some 

endemic species. This (Chita) Red Book includes 

three katydid species and one gra s s h o pper 

species: 

• D e racanthella ve rru c o s a( Fi s cher de Wa l dh 

e i m ,1846) (Te t t i go n i i d a e, D e ra c a n t h i n a e ) 

• G a m p s o cleis grat i o s a B runner von Wat t e nw 

y l , 1888 (Te t t i go n i i d a e, Te t t i go n i i n a e, 

G a m p s o cl e i d i n i ) 

• C o n o c ephalus bey b i e n ko i S t o ro z h e n ko , 

1981 (Te t t i go n i i d a e, C o n o c ep h a l i n a e, C o no 

c ep h a l i n i ) 

• H ap l o t ropis bru n n e riana S a u s s u re, 1 8 8 8 

( Pa m p h agi d a e ) 

The ra n ges of all these species are more or less 

re s t ri c t e d. Usually they inhabit the southern 

s t eppic part of Chita Regi o n . 

The second Book is for the Novo s i b i rsk Region 

(Novo s i b i rs k aya Oblast). This terri t o ry is 

in West Siberi a , near the border with Kazakhstan. 

Th e re are the steppes and fo re s t - 

s t eppes with widely distri buted species. 

H oweve r, t wo ort h o p t e ran species are incl u d e d 

in the Novo s i b i rsk Red Book: 

• S aga pedo ( Pa l l a s , 1771) (an ex t re m e ly 

l a rge, p redacious katydid known only fro m 

females) is the widely distru buted ra re kat ydid 

(Te t t i go n i i d a e, S aginae). It is incl u d e d 

in the IUCN Red List and in seve ral nat i o nal 

Red Books (including Russian). 

• I ris poly s t i c t i c a ( Fi s cher de Wa l d h e i m , 

1846) is of Mantodea (Mantidae). Its popul 

ation in the southwest part of Novo s i b i rs k 

R egion is near the NE edge of its ra n ge. 

This book should be published in 2000. 

M i chael is an editor of the Novo s i b i rsk Red 

Book (Animals). 

Tsukana Ya m a s a k i , To kyo Metro p o l i t a n 

U n ive rs i t y, rep o rts on his activities in Jap a n : 

The committee for the assessment of endange 

red wildlife, o rga n i zed in the Env i ro n m e n t a l 

A ge n cy, is inve s t i gating the fo l l owing species 

of ort h o p t e roid insects: 

• Galloisiana notab i l i s [ G ry l l o bl at t o d e a : 

G ry l l o bl at t i d a e ] ( D i s t ri bu t i o n : N aga s a k i , 

Kyushu). This is the most thre at e n e d 

species in Jap a n . 

The fo l l owing two species we re selected as 

near thre atened species, because of the island 

s p e c i e s , being small populations,and deve l o pment 

of local areas. 

• Pa ratlanticus tsushimensis [ O rt h o p t e ra : Te -t 

t i goniidae] (Tsushima Is.) 

• G a m p s o cleis ry u ky u e n s i s[ O rt h . : Te t t i go n iidae 

(Okinawa and Miya ko Is.,Ryuky u s ) 

The fo l l owing five species are considere d 

d ata deficient species: 

• L ox o bl e m mus mag n at u s[ O rt h . : G ry l l i d a e ] , 

A rnobia pilipes [Ort h . : Te t t i go n i i d a e ] ,C h o rthippus 

nakazimai [ O rt h . : A c ri d i d a e ] , S a lganea 

esakii [ B l at t o d e a :Pa n e s t h i i d a e ] ,a n d 

Challia fl e t ch e ri [ D e rm ap t e ra : P y gi d ic 

ra n i d a e ] . 

Discussions on endange red species will be 

also continued in this ye a r. 

Xing-bao Jin, N at u ral History Museum of 

Shanghai rep o rt s :After a pre l i m i n a ry survey of 

the common singing ort h o p t e roid insects in the 

Shanghai regi o n , both ru ral and urban, I have 

found that most common singing cri ckets and 

k atydids (around 20 species) could be a go o d 

i n d ex species indicating the “ d egree of wildern 

e s s ” or used as a “ gradient of urbanizat i o n .” 

The number of species is cl e a rly reduced with 

the env i ronmental or hab i t at ch a n ges. Th e 

common singing Ort h o p t e ra meet many of 

N o s s ’(1990) cri t e ria for biological indicat o rs : 

1 . D i s t ri buted continu a l ly over a broad ge ographical 

area (southeast China and A s i a ) , 

as long as there is the hab i t at suitable fo r 

t h e m ; 

2 . S e n s i t ive enough to provide early wa rn i n g s 

of hab i t at ch a n ge, e s p e c i a l ly the kat y d i d s , 

wh i ch large ly depend on the presence of 

bu s h e s ; 

3 . Easy to assay as they are re l at ive ly simple to 

be identified just by their sound and not 

n e c e s s a ry to cat ch the insects; 

4 . Of high interest to the public and not difficult 

to draw the public attention to the env ironment 

pro bl e m s ; 

5. Species ch a n ges detectable may be re l at ively 

independent of sample size. 

Species 71

The ab ove conclusions are pri m i t ive. I am 

going to do further survey to get more data fo r 

a fo rmal pap e r. 

O rt h o p t e roids of Sey ch e l l e s 

Justin Gerl a ch ,133 Cherry Hinton Road, C a mb 

ri d ge CB1 7BX,UK, j s t ge rl a ch @ a o l . c o m , i s 

i n i t i ating a study on the Ort h o p t e roids of the 

S ey chelles as fo l l ow s : 

Since 1986 members of The Nat u re Pro t e c t i o n 

Trust of Sey chelles have been re s e a rching the 

c o n s e rvation needs of Sey chelles biodive rs i t y. 

Although this has cove red all taxonomic 

gro u p s ,c e rtain taxa have re c e ived particular att 

e n t i o n , due to their dive rs i t y, e c o l ogical spec 

i a l i s ations or individual interests. Th e 

o rt h o p t e roids are one of these we l l - s t u d i e d 

groups. The more easily re c ognised ort 

h o p t e roids such as the phasmids have been 

well studied although a small number of locality 

re c o rds continue to be made. Va ri ations in 

species hab i t at pre fe rences and consequently 

their adap t ability to unnat u ral env i ro n m e n t a l 

ch a n ge have been noted. Howeve r, all species 

a re most abundant in nat u ra l , d ive rse hab i t at s , 

thus providing a re a s o n able indicator of nat u ra l 

b i o d ive rsity (although an admittedly cry p t i c 

one). Of the Sey chelles phasmids C a ra u s i u s 

s c o t t iis the ra rest and mot enigmat i c. Fi rst disc 

ove red in 1908, it was known only from the 

holotype male until 1990. In that year a fe m a l e 

was located and the species found to be abu ndant 

on Silhouette island. Since then it has 

been scarce and there may be some evidence of 

p o p u l ation cy cles. Such ch a n ges in abu n d a n c e 

m ay also explain why a number of gry l l i d 

c ri cket and tetri gid groundhopper species have 

not been located for 92 ye a rs ,despite thoro u g h 

s e a rches and why other prev i o u s ly ra re or unre 

c o rded species have increased in abu n d a n c e. 

The majority of endemic species have been 

l o c ated only in high-altitude fo rests; mist fo rest 

being especially dive rs e. Seve ral potentially 

ve ry ri ch sites have not been adequat e ly 

s t u d i e d. These include ro ck slopes and cave s ; 

recent observations of cave rnicolous cri cke t s 

i n clude ap p a re n t ly undescribed species. A nother 

important under- re s e a rched hab i t at is the 

72 Species 

l owland marsh. The largest reed marsh in Seych 

e l l e s ,Anse Ke rlan on Pra s l i n , was known to 

s u p p o rt a highly dive rse but unidentified acridid 

fauna. The conservation of these hab i t ats is 

p o o rly ap p re c i ated in Sey chelles and there remains 

a widespread view that they are of little 

value in their nat u ral stat e. Th e re are few sign 

i ficant thre ats to areas containing caves bu t 

m a rsh hab i t ats are under thre at for deve l o pment 

purposes. The gre at difficulties in pres 

e rving marsh areas is exe m p l i fied by the 

d ra i n age of the Anse Ke rlan marsh in 1999. A lthough 

this was the largest reedbed area in Seychelles 

and supported important populations of 

wat e r- b i rd s ,t e rrap i n s ,a m p h i b i a n s ,m a rsh assoc 

i ated Lep i d o p t e ra and Ort h o p t e ra , its importance 

was not ge n e ra l ly ap p re c i ated and the 

d evelopment proposal re c e ived a positive Env 

i ronmental Impact Assessment by the Dire ctor 

of Bird L i fe Sey chelles. This dra i n age has 

had a cat a s t rophic impact on the local fa u n a . 

R e s e a rch into the remaining marsh frag m e n t s 

is an urgent pri o rity if their biodive rsity is to be 

p re s e rved and awa reness of their conservat i o n 

value raised to a higher leve l . 

A small number of endemics have adap t e d 

s u c c e s s f u l ly to lowland secondary and anthrop 

ogenic hab i t ats but ve ry few are nat u ra l ly res 

t ricted to lowland sites. Those that are have 

o n ly been re c o rded on infre q u e n t ly visited islands 

and may be more widespread than the 

ava i l able evidence suggests. A major biodive rsity 

assessment programme planned for 2000- 

2005 aims to survey the biodive rsity of all the 

S ey chelles islands. This programme hopes to 

re l o c ate the species not seen since 1905-9 and 

to produce a clear picture of the distri bution all 

s p e c i e s , both nat ive and alien. From this basis 

it should be possible to target conservation effo 

rt to the taxa and localities most in need. 

The ab ove activities illustrate the ra n ge of cons 

e rvat i o n - o riented projects that are being attempted 

around the wo rl d. Let’s hope that they 

a re successful. 

D. C . F. Rentz, C h a i r

Otter Specialist Gro u p 

E ffo rts to increase the effi c i e n cy of OSG have 

been raised in the last triennium. A base fo r 

c o m mu n i c ation between members and publ ic 

ation of data was the biannu a l ly publ i s h e d 

OSG Bulletin, edited by A rno Gutleb, and the 

N ewsletter of the OSG Asian Section, e d i t e d 

by N. Sivasothi. 

A highlight of the triennium was the VII Int 

e rn ational Otter Colloquium, held in March 

1999 at Treb o n / C ze ch Rep u blic and orga n i ze d 

by Robert Dulfer wh i ch was joined by more 

than 120 participants from 34 countries. At this 

colloquium Padma de Silva re t i red from the 

post of the chair of OSG, succeeded by Claus 

R e u t h e r. Padma de Silva will stay with the 

group as the coord i n ator for A s i a , wh e re she 

c o n t i nues to do ve ry successful wo rk. Supported 

by the Japanese Otter Research Group and 

Friends of Otters , she was able to establish an 

OSG Secre t a ri at for Asia. This secre t a ri at not 

o n ly functions as a commu n i c ation hub fo r 

otter conservation and re s e a rch in A s i a , it also 

c o o rd i n ated some re m a rk able activities. Really 

pioneering wo rk was done by organizing the 

wo rkshops on “Methods of Surveying and 

M o n i t o ring Otter Po p u l at i o n s ” in 1997 in 

Thailand and on “ C o n s e rvation and Publ i c 

Awa reness for Otters ” in 1999 in Ta i wan. Not 

o n ly did they fo rm and connect the Asian otter 

fa m i ly, but they also linked up A s i a n , E u rop 

e a n , and North A m e rican ex p e riences. More 

i m p o rt a n t ly, e a ch wo rkshop resulted in new act 

ivities on a national or on a mu l t i n at i o n a l 

l evel. For instance the re - d i s c ove ry of the 

h a i ry-nosed otter (L u t ra sumat ra n a) in Th a iland 

in 1999 by Budsabong Kanch a n a s a k h a 

was a direct fo l l ow up of the 1997 wo rk s h o p . 

S i m i l a rly the prep a ration of a mu l t i l i n g u a l 

painting book for ch i l d re n ,as agreed at the current 

wo rkshop in Ta i wa n ,will be an import a n t 

c o n t ri bution to increase awa reness for the cons 

e rvation of otters and wetlands in A s i a . 

The idea for this public awa reness pro j e c t 

was adapted from the real success story cre ated 

by Christof Sch e n ck and Elke Staib, wh o 

e s t ablished a re m a rk able conservation pro j e c t 

for the Giant Otter in Pe ru. The project incl u ded 

training courses for nat ive conservat i o n i s t s 

and national park ra n ge rs , p u blic awa re n e s s 

campaigns and the establishment of a sustainable 

tourism concept. This wo rk was supported 

by the Fra n k f u rt Zoological Society, as with 

the re s e a rch and conservation projects of Gonzalo 

Medina in Chile for L o n t ra longi c a u d i s 

and L u t ra fe l i n a . Being OSG’s coord i n ator fo r 

L atin A m e ri c a , he tries to increase interest fo r 

o t t e rs in this region and a fi rst success was visi 

ble at the last Intern ational Otter Colloquium 

wh i ch was joined by more Latin A m e rican participants 

then ever befo re. The next Intern ational 

Otter Colloquium, planned to be held in 

Ja nu a ry, 2001 in Chile, is hoped to be an add i - 

tional step to support otter wo rk in Latin A m e rica 

(contact for further info rm at i o n : G o n z a l o 

Medina; gmedina@va l d iv i a . u c a . u a ch . cl ) . 

U n fo rt u n at e ly little progress on OSG 

a c t ivities is rep o rted from North A m e ri c a . 

Connecting the nu m e rous activities in otter 

c o n s e rvation and re s e a rch ,u n d o u b t e d ly occuri 

n g, to the wo rk of OSG will be one import a n t 

focus of OSG’s wo rk for the next quadre n n ium. 

The same is true for A f rica wh e re Ja n 

N e l ’s effo rts to increase interest for otter wo rk 

is—not at least because of the difficult political 

and economic situation in many A f rican count 

ries—a difficult job for a coord i n at o r. 

As in the past, most activities have to be rep 

o rted from Europe wh e re I plan to pass the 

job of the regional coord i n ator into other hands 

in the next quadrennium after being re s p o n s ible 

for this section since 1983. European memb 

e rs of OSG had a meeting in June 1999 as 

p a rt of the 3rd European Congress of Mamm 

a l ogy connected with two ve ry effi c i e n t 

wo rkshops on “ Pe rp e t u ation of the standard s 

of the standard survey method for L u t ra lutra” 

and on “ O t t e rs and fi s h e ry.” The latter pro bl e m 

is coming to the fo reground more and more 

since the otter population is increasing in seve 

ral European regions. It was agreed to establish 

bi- and mu l t i n ational re s e a rch groups to 

d evelop solutions for the pro blems ari s i n g 

Species 73

f rom otter pre d ation in fish production fa c i l ities. 

The new standards for the survey methods 

will be published in the year 2000 and will become 

an important tool to support monitori n g 

of otter distri bution in Euro p e. As a base fo r 

this objective, a digi t i zed (10x10km UTM) 

grid for Europe was deve l o p e d. This will also 

s u p p o rt one of the most ambitious projects of 

the European section of OSG, financed and orga 

n i zed by German Aktion Fi s ch o t t e rs ch u t z : 

The “Otter Hab i t at Netwo rk Europe (OHNE).” 

This netwo rk will be the fo u n d ation for a re - 

connection of the scat t e red otter populat i o n s 

e s p e c i a l ly in central Euro p e. As a reaction to 

s eve ral otter release projects wh i ch do not meet 

IUCN reg u l at i o n s , the European section of 

OSG established a Reintroduction A dv i s o ry 

Committee (RAC) wh i ch will eva l u ate planned 

p rojects and will advice institutions and gove 

rnments invo l ve d. To support the wo rk of 

R AC German Aktion Fi s ch o t t e rs chutz financed 

a legal opinion of the Unive rsity of 

B remen about “the preconditions for the release 

of otters on the base of EU and other int 

e rn ational legal reg u l at i o n s .” 

OSG is also invo l ved in the management of 

c ap t ive populations of otters. Progress is obv ious 

in the EEP (European Endange red Species 

P rogram) for L u t ra lutra , c o o rd i n ated by A lf 

red Melissen. Studbooks and husbandry 

guidelines are alre a dy ava i l able or in prep a ration 

for A m bl o nyx cinere u s , L o n t ra canadens 

i s , L u t ra lutra , and P t e ro nu ra bra s i l i e n s i s . 

Otter Action Plan 

In 1998, revision of the Otter Action Plan wa s 

s t a rted and is hoped to be finished at the end of 

2000. To ensure an efficient implementation of 

the action plan a wo rkshop is planned to be 

held in Nove m b e r, 2000 at the German otter 

c e n t re (contact for further info rm at i o n : A kt 

i o n . Fi s ch o t t e rs ch u t z @ t - o n l i n e.de). This topic 

will fo rm one of the main pri o rities of OSG’s 

wo rk in the next quadre n n i u m . 

74 Species 

F u t u re Objective s 

Other projects planned for the next quadre n n ium 

are 

• s t rengthening of effo rts to connect otter 

c o n s e rvation with the Ramsar conve n t i o n ; 

• i n t ege ration of more otter species within the 

Bonn conve n t i o n ; 

• d evelopment and testing of solutions for the 

c o n flict between otter conservation and fi s h 

p roduction or fish harve s t i n g ; 

• intensifying of effo rts to increase know le 

d ge about the distri bution of the diffe re n t 

otter species (especially in the Far East, 

A f rica and Latin A m e rica)—also as a base 

for a better eva l u ation for the Red List Progra 

m m e, for wh i ch a Red List Au t h o ri t y 

was established headed by A nuil Hussain, 

I n d i a ; 

• d evelopment and support of re s e a rch and 

p u blic awa reness activities for specific otter 

species as especially A o nyx congi c u s ,L u t ra 

s u m at ra n a ,and L o n t ra provo c a x ; 

• fo rmu l ation of a manifesto of OSG, d e fi ning 

basic targets for otter conservat i o n ; 

• p u bl i c ation of a leaflet introducing OSG; 

• p rep a ration of a website for OSG incl u d i n g 

a project dat abase and a tissue ex ch a n ge 

unit; and 

• re - o rga n i s ation of OSG stru c t u re s . 

Claus Reuther, C h a i r 

E - m a i l :A k t i o n . Fi s ch o t t e rs ch u t z @ t - o n l i n e. d e 

Fa x : 4 9 / 5 8 3 2 / 9 8 0 8 5 1

Pa rt ri d ge, Q u a i l , and Francolin Specialist Gro u p 

( W PA / B i rd L i fe / S S C ) 

O ver the last three ye a rs the Pa rt ri d ge, Q u a i l , 

and Francolin Specialist Group has been active 

on a number of fronts. Membership in the 

group is re l at ive ly stable and we are adding a 

few new members each ye a r. The SG pro d u c e s 

a newsletter twice per year and maintains a 

web site through the support of The Game 

C o n s e rva n cy Trust in the U.K. (http://www. 

ga m e - c o n s e rva n cy. o rg. u k / p q f / ) . 

In 1998, the Group underwent some admini 

s t rat ive ch a n ges to better re flect the intern ational 

composition of the Specialist Group. In 

o rder to better serve the membership and 

species we deal with, we are expanding the adm 

i n i s t ration of the group beyond the ori gi n a l ly 

e s t ablished Core Committee. We now have an 

E xe c u t ive Committee consisting of the Chair, 

Simon Dowe l l , to serve as our Conservat i o n 

Committee Rep re s e n t at ive to the Wo rld Pheasant 

A s s o c i at i o n ,Phil McGowan to head up A ction 

Plan rev i s i o n s , Paul North as the 

N ewsletter Editor, N i cholas A eb i s cher to coo 

rd i n ate project pro p o s a l s , and rep re s e n t i n g 

our members h i p , C h ristine Dra n zoa fro m 

M a ke re re Unive rs i t y, U ga n d a ,and Salim Jave d 

f rom A l i garh Unive rs i t y, India. All of the Regional 

Rep re s e n t at ives have been asked to ind 

i c ate their willingness to continue in their 

posts and a fo rmal rev i ew process is being developed 

to assist them in channelling info rm ation 

between the membership and specialist 

group. 

M e m b e rs of the Group continue to make 

p rogress on a number of fronts. We are seeing 

i n c reases in activity on key species in both 

A f rica and Latin A m e rica. The proceedings of 

the Intern ational Gallifo rmes Confe rence held 

in Malaysia during September 1997 came out 

as a special edition of Bird Conservation Intern 

ational. Important pap e rs on the Sichuan hill 

p a rt ri d ge (Arbophila ru fi p e c t u s) and Hainan 

hill part ri d ge (A. ard e n s) we re incl u d e d. Th e 

p roceedings also included an Opinion piece by 

Phil McGowa n , Pete Gars o n , and John Carro l l 

on their views of the values and limitations of 

Action Plans for conservation. 

Our five - year Action Plan cove ring the 

ye a rs 1995-1999 rap i d ly coming to a cl o s e. 

Due to the gre at effo rts of Rich Fuller in the 

U.K. the 2000-2004 Action Plan has been completed 

and is now with the SSC for publ i c at i o n . 

A closer wo rking re l ationship with Bird L i fe 

I n t e rn ational resulted in better coord i n ation of 

species accounts and status assignments. Th e 

2000-2004 Action Plan includes 22 pro j e c t s 

dealing with some regional programs as we l l 

as projects on thre atened and endange re d 

species. The Action Plan will appear some time 

this ye a r. 

The year 1999 saw the fi rst joint wo rk s h o p 

held between the Cracid Specialist Group and 

P Q F S G. Dan Bro o k s , Chair of CSG, Ja ck Eitn 

i e a r, P Q F S G, and I co-orga n i zed this in conjunction 

with the Neotropical Orn i t h o l ogi c a l 

C o n gress held during October 1999, in Mont 

e rrey, M exico. I believe this joint effo rt inc 

reased the interest in quails among Cra c i d 

b i o l ogists in Latin A m e rica. Intere s t i n g ly, a 

number of projects that we did not know ab o u t 

p rev i o u s ly came to light. Th e re was also quite 

a dive rsity of pap e rs. A number of pap e rs summ 

a ri zed the status of the bearded wood (tre e ) - 

p a rt ri d ge (D e n d ro rtyx barbat u s) in Mex i c o . 

This species was listed as Cri t i c a l ly Endange 

red in the 1995 Action Plan, but because of a 

c o o p e rat ive effo rt in surveying the true distribution 

of this species by a group including Ja ck 

E i t n i e a r, S e rgio A g u i l a r, John Baccus, Vi c t o r 

G o n z a l e z , and PQF the species has now been 

d ow n graded to Vu l n e rabl e. Gilberto Chave z 

p resented a paper on his Ph.D. wo rk re l ated to 

s u s t a i n able use of the long-tailed tree-quail (D. 

m a c ro u ra) in Mexico. Sustainable management 

of crested bobwhites (C o l i nus cri s t at u s) 

in Venezuela was the topic of a paper by Elizabeth 

Pe rez. Bill Ku v l e s ky presented a paper on 

c o n t i nuing effo rts to re s t o re populations of the 

m a s ked bobwhite (C. virgi n i a nus ri d g way i) in 

Species 75

S o n o ra , M exico and A ri zo n a , U. S.A. Th e re 

we re two re l evant posters at the confe re n c e. 

Elisa Bonacorso presented some of her wo rk 

on the Venezuelan wood-quail (O d o n t o p h o ru s 

c o l u m b i a nu s) in Henri Pittier National Pa rk in 

Venezuela. PQF provided a subsidy for her to 

attend the confe re n c e. In another poster 

d e m o n s t rating that we just cannot ke ep up with 

all the wo rk being done was presented by A l ej 

a n d ro Gord i l l o , a student from UNAM in 

M exico on the bioge ograp hy of the Mex i c a n 

quails. In and ove rv i ew pap e r, Ja ck Eitniear 

and I rev i ewed the status of Central A m e ri c a n 

Quail. Fi n a l ly, Rob Clay had to miss the confe 

rence at the last minu t e, but provided a manu 

s c ript rev i ewing the status of the spot-winge d 

wood-quail (O. cap u i e ra) in Pa rag u ay. Th i s 

t h o rough rev i ew suggests that the species is 

w i d e s p read in fragmented fo rests there, a n d 

p ro b ably more common than ori gi n a l ly susp 

e c t e d. All of the pap e rs are now being conve 

rted to manu s c ripts along with Cracid pap e rs 

f rom this and another confe rence into a book to 

be published by the Center for the Study of 

Tropical Bird s , I n c. and will hopefully be 

ava i l able in late 2000. 

In 1999 field wo rk on the Cri t i c a l ly Endange 

red the ora n ge - n e cked hill part ri d ge (A. dav 

i d i) continued thanks to the Species Surv iva l 

Commission and Chicago Zoological Society. 

A grant awa rded through the Specialist Gro u p 

has allowed Nguyen Tran Vy to continue stat u s 

s u rveys in the vicinity of Cat Tien Nat i o n a l 

Pa rk in Vietnam. He was also accepted to take 

a short course in biodive rsity monitoring at the 

Smithsonian Institution. In A f ri c a , E ric Sande 

has made enormous strides in our unders t a n ding 

of the biology of Nahan’s francolin Fra n- 

76 Species 

c o l i nus nahani. His studies at the Budongo 

Fo rest Reserve in Uganda include cri t i c a l ly 

needed population and life history data on this 

o b s c u re species. He completed his fi e l d - wo rk 

and will submit his thesis in 2000. Duri n g 

1 9 9 8 , in Mex i c o , Ja ck Eitniear and his team 

f rom the Center for the Study of Tro p i c a l 

B i rd s , I n c. discove red a new population of the 

b e a rded tre e - p a rt ri d ge in Quere t a ro , M ex i c o . 

This population is completely outside of the 

h i s t o ric ra n ge and ap p e a rs to be more secure 

than most of the other small and isolated popu 

l ations prev i o u s ly surveye d. The Specialist 

G roup endorsed a proposal by Gao Yu-Ren of 

the South China Institute of Endange red A n imals 

for continu ation of his wo rk on the 

Hainan hill part ri d ge. The Specialist Gro u p 

also endorsed proposals by Christine Dra n zo a 

to begin wo rk on the handsome F. nobilis i n 

U ganda and Suresh Shakya to begin survey 

wo rk on the swamp francolin F. gulari s i n 

N epal. The latter project is also re c e iving seed 

m o n ey from the Specialist Group. 

The Group is making slow and steady 

p rogress despite the fact that most of our memb 

e rs are seve re ly impeded by lack of money. 

S eve ral of our members part i c i p ated in a wo rkshop 

on field techniques for Gallifo rmes in 

India during March 1999. Prep a rations continue 

for the next Intern ational Gallifo rmes Symposium 

to be held in September/October 2000 

in Nepal. Immediat e ly after the symposium 

Salim Javed and I will coord i n ate a wo rk s h o p 

on field methods and data analysis for biologists 

from the regi o n . 

John P. Carro l l , C h a i r 

E - m a i l :j c a rro l l @ s m o key. fo re s t ry. u ga . e d u

Pheasant Specialist Group (WPA / B i rd L i fe / S S C ) 

D u ring the past three ye a rs this Specialist 

G roup has continued to increase its membership 

of those active ly invo l ved in the cause of 

pheasant conservation wo rld wide, to a curre n t 

total of 85. The principal netwo rking device is 

the twice-ye a rly newsletter Trago p a n, wh i ch 

c a rries recent news on all active pro j e c t s , bu t 

t h ree other activities have been significant in 

the period of this rev i ew (1997-2000). The fi rs t 

of these is the continuing series of Intern at i o nal 

Symposia on Gallifo rm e s ,o rganised in conjunction 

with the Wo rld Pheasant A s s o c i at i o n 

and the Pa rt ri d ge, Quail and Francolin Specialist 

Group. A selection of pap e rs from the 

S eptember 1997 symposium in Pe n i n s u l a r 

M a l aysia we re published a year later in a special 

issue of B i rd Conservation Intern at i o n a l 

( Volume 8. No. 4). The next symposium is 

s cheduled for September 2000 in Nepal. Th e s e 

meetings would be beyond our capacity to organise 

or sponsor without enormous help fro m 

W PA . 

Wo rkshops on particular pro blems fo r 

pheasant conservation are also becoming a fe at 

u re of our progra m m e. Th e re was a meeting of 

key playe rs invo l ved in surveys and conserva- 

tion action for the green peafowl (Pavo mu t ic 

u s) in almost all its SE Asian ra n ge states during 

the symposium in Malay s i a ,resulting in an 

agreed action plan (see McGowan et al. in the 

ab ove publ i c ation). This was immediat e ly fo ll 

owed by a wo rkshop organised jointly with 

the Bird L i fe Intern ational Vietnam Progra m m e 

and the Gove rnment of Vi e t n a m ,to discuss the 

s t atus and conservation of three thre at e n e d 

pheasants from central Vietnam (L o p h u ra imp 

e ri a l i s , L. edwa rd s i and L. hat i n h e n s i s) , resulting 

in an agreed position stat e m e n t 

submitted to the gove rnment (see S p e c i e s 3 0 , 

73-4). A training wo rkshop was held for yo u n g 

Asian fi e l dwo rke rs in the Gre at Himalaya n 

N. P. in India in March 1999, o rganised and fac 

i l i t ated by S. Sat hyakumar (Wi l d l i fe Institute 

of India) and Rahul Kaul (WPA South A s i a 

Field Office). All three of these events we re 

m a i n ly sponsored by W PA . 

The dawning of 1999 re q u i red us to produce 

a second edition of our Action Plan, b ecause 

we had deliberat e ly time-limited the 

p e riod for implementation of the fi rst one to 

1995-1999. W PA employed Rich a rd Fuller 

( n ow at Durham Univ. , UK) to assist the Chair 

Species 77

with the task of editing this new ve rs i o n ,a l o n g 

with two for other Gallifo rmes groups. Most 

m e m b e rs part i c i p ated in the re d rafting pro c e s s , 

and principal inve s t i gat o rs on projects re l at i n g 

to the fi rst edition part i c i p ated in an audit of its 

e ffe c t iveness. Of the 25 projects outlined as int 

e rn ational pri o rities in 1995, 19 had been init 

i at e d, and 45 of the 73 specific objective s 

s u ggested had been add re s s e d, by the end of 

1999. The existence of the fi rst edition of the 

Action Plan was the most fre q u e n t ly cited re ason 

for project initiat i o n , and it was the pri n c ipal 

motivation in six cases (see also McGowa n 

et al. [1998] Bird Conservation Intern at i o n a l , 

8 , 173-184 & 317-323). 

We do not have the capacity to fund-ra i s e 

for pro j e c t s ,but the volume of activity over the 

past four ye a rs suggests that our wo rk in helping 

principal inve s t i gat o rs to develop fe a s i bl e 

and we l l - t a rgeted project pro p o s a l s , is effe ct 

ive. By endorsing (i.e. ap p roving) these on behalf 

of all three of our parent orga n i s at i o n s ,we 

appear to marke d ly increase the likelihood of 

p roject funds being secured from a gre at va riety 

of national and intern ational sourc e s . 

The new edition of the Action Plan, to be 

p u blished by IUCN later in 2000, rev i ews the 

t h re at status of all 51 curre n t ly ack n ow l e d ge d 

s p e c i e s ,using all ava i l able know l e d ge and app 

lying the IUCN Red List cri t e ria. The 26 

t h re atened species accounts we re produced by 

the team at the Bird L i fe Intern ational secre t a riat 

in Cambri d ge (UK) for rev i ew by all know n 

contacts with ex p e rt i s e. The result is a set of 

agreed accounts, along with thre at cat ego ri e s 

and specific cri t e ri a , t h at will appear in both 

our new Action Plan and Bird L i fe ’s fo rt h c o ming 

Th re atened Birds of the Wo rld (2000). We 

a re ex t re m e ly grateful to W PA and Bird L i fe fo r 

their indispensable assistance with this conside 

rable task. 

78 Species 

Th e re are 25 new projects to be implemented 

in the 2000-2004 peri o d. Th ey differ in 

ch a racter from those in the fi rst edition, also ind 

i c ating that progress is being made towa rd s 

s c i e n t i fi c a l ly-based conservation action programmes 

for both regions and part i c u l a r 

species. To quote from the Fo rewo rd in the new 

Action Plan: 

“…the fl avour of the wo rk programme we 

outline for the next five ye a rs is mu ch more 

s t rat egic and action ori e n t ated than that proposed 

in the 1995 edition, so we are sure ly 

making some real progress towa rds preventing 

any more of these spectacular and 

useful bird species from going to the bri n k 

of extinction. As things stand, of the fo u r 

most thre atened species, the imperi a l , E dwa 

rd s ’s and Vietnamese pheasants are the 

subject of enormous conservation effo rt coo 

rd i n ated by the Bird L i fe Intern at i o n a l 

Vietnam Progra m m e, whilst the Born e a n 

p e a c o ck-pheasant (Po ly p l e c t ron sch l e i e rm 

a ch e ri) is a target for action by the Indonesia 

Programmes of both Bird L i fe 

I n t e rn ational and the Wi l d l i fe Conservat i o n 

S o c i e t y. These cases exemplify conservation 

as a co-operat ive effo rt involving local 

p e o p l e, d e c i s i o n - m a ke rs , special intere s t 

groups and intern ational age n c i e s .” 

Our main tasks, as eve r, a re to pri o ri t i s e 

t a s k s , c at a lyse activity and netwo rk for collabo 

rat ive action. 

Our core running costs are support e d 

t h rough newsletter subscriptions (ca. 200), 

W PA and Bird L i fe Intern ational. We are fo rever 

grateful to all the individuals and these two 

p a rent orga n i s ations for their continuing supp 

o rt for our wo rk . 

Peter Gars o n , C h a i r

P i g s , Pe c c a ri e s ,and Hippos Specialist Gro u p 

The past three ye a rs we re marked by a nu m b e r 

of exciting deve l o p m e n t s , i n cluding the disc 

ove ry of at least one new species of wild pig 

and the re d i s c ove ry of another, and the merge r 

of the fo rmer Pigs & Pe c c a ries and Hippo Specialist 

Groups. This merge r, wh i ch was undert 

a ken at SSC’s behest fo l l owing the re t i re m e n t 

of the HSG Chair, Keith Eltri n g h a m ,at the end 

of the last tri e n n i u m ,also prompted a major re - 

o rga n i s ation and the cre ation of three subgro 

u p s , to take pri m a ry responsibility fo r 

G roup activities for each of three Families of 

S u i fo rmes. Each of these Subgro u p s , wh i ch 

c o m p rise a Chair, one or more Regional Coord 

i n at o rs and va rying nu m b e rs of Members , o pe 

rate autonomously most of the time, but can 

c o o rd i n ate their activities via the Group Chair 

and/or other Sub-Group Chairs , R egional Coo 

rd i n at o rs and Members wh e n ever necessary. 

After some delays and further ch a n ges in 

l e a d e rs h i p ,the ch a l l e n ge of re fo rming and developing 

the new Hippo Subgroup was fi n a l ly 

t a ken up early last year by Rebecca Lew i s o n , 

who has since spearheaded new info rm at i o n , 

re s e a rch and fund-raising campaigns, set-up a 

n ew website (http://wfcb. u c d av i s . e d u / w w w / 

i u c n h i p p o s / I U C N f rames.html); and is now developing 

on online new s l e t t e r, c ove ring curre n t 

re s e a rch new s , rep o rts from hippo field res 

e a rch sites and other info rm ation on the cons 

e rvation status of these animals in ra n ge 

s t ates. An education packet aimed at sch o o l s 

and env i ronmental orga n i s ations has also been 

p roduced and is ava i l able through the web s i t e, 

and it is planned to publish a complete hippo 

b i bl i ograp hy on-line. 

The Pe c c a ry Sub-Gro u p , ch a i red by A nd 

rew Tab e r, of the Wi l d l i fe Conservation Socie 

t y, has also played an important role in the 

expansion of field re s e a rch , m a n agement and 

other conservat i o n - re l ated activities fo c u s s e d 

on or around these animals in recent ye a rs . 

Field studies in disparate hab i t ats from ra i n 

fo rests and tropical dry fo re s t s ,to modified fo re 

s t - fa rmland mosaics have documented the key 

stone role white-lipped and collared peccari e s 

p l ay in stru c t u ring plant communities thro u g h 

ro o t i n g, seed pre d ation and dispersal. The fi rs t 

radio telemetry studies on white-lipped peccaries 

have also been completed in seve ral locat 

i o n s ,and these have yielded useful data on the 

ra n ging behaviour of this species, h i g h ly re l evant 

to the planning of re s e rves. For ex a m p l e, 

the species is no longer thought to be nomadic, 

though herds may utilise home ra n ges in the 

o rder of 100 km 2 . Other studies on both Taya ssu 

spp. now underway or completed re c e n t ly, 

i n clude important new re s e a rch on populat i o n 

d e m ograp h i c s , h ow these animals surv ive in 

f ragmented landscapes and the kinds of conn 

e c t ivity re q u i red to enable them to do so. 

Whilst mu ch remains to be learn e d, p a rt i c u l a rly 

in neotropical regi o n s , the gre at ly incre a s e d 

b o dy of info rm ation now ava i l able should provide 

a good basis for scientifi c a l ly gro u n d e d 

m a n agement and conservation programs fo r 

these species. 

C o m munity based wildlife management act 

ivities have also been continued in nu m e ro u s 

l o c ations throughout South and Central A m e rica. 

These activ i t i e s , wh i ch have again underlined 

the importance of both collared and 

white-lipped peccaries as a protein source fo r 

i n d i genous peoples, h ave invo l ved the successful 

monitoring of game off take s , and prov i d e d 

m o re data on peccary population demograp hy. 

H oweve r, most of these projects are still grappling 

with the pro blems of how local people 

can use these data to help ensure future harvests 

are sustainable and to develop longe rt 

e rm conservation and monitoring progra m m e s 

— p a rt i c u l a rly for white-lipped peccaries. In 

fa c t , t h e re is cl e a rly a growing need to re a s s e s s 

the conservation status of this species thro u g hout 

its ra n ge, but especially in Choco of southwest 

Colombia and northeast Equador, wh e re a 

field status survey of the highly thre at e n e d 

ra c e, T. p. equat o ri u s , remains a high pri o ri t y. 

On the other hand, p rospects for the surv iva l 

in the wild of the endange red Chacoan peccary 

(C at ago nus wag n e ri) we re enhanced dire c tly 

through the cre ation of the huge (3.5 million 

ha) Kaa-Iya Gran Chaco Protected A rea in Bol 

iv i a , and indire c t ly by the increasing awa re- 

Species 79

n e s s — l o c a l ly and intern at i o n a l ly—of the enormous 

conservation importance of the Gra n 

Chaco. Other effo rts in this area are being directed 

towa rds the extension of the Defe n d e rs 

of the Chaco National Pa rk in Pa rag u ay as fa r 

the Kaa-Iya re s e rve on the Bolivian bord e r, a n d 

to establish a conservation corridor netwo rk 

b e t ween these areas and other wildlands further 

south in A rgentina. 

F u rther re s e a rch , p a rt i c u l a rly into the syst 

e m atic re l ationships and ecology of va ri o u s 

t h re at e n e d, but poorly know n , suids has also 

constituted a major pre o c c u p ation of the Gro u p 

in A f rica and in Southeast Asia. In studies intended 

to add ress Action Plan re s e a rch pri o rities 

in the fo rmer regi o n , s i g n i ficant progre s s 

has been made in cl a rifying the taxonomy of 

P h a c o ch o e ru s spp through mtDNA studies 

wh i ch suggest that the common (P. afri c a nu s) 

and desert (P. aethiopicus) wa rt h ogs are actua 

l ly widely sep a rated species wh i ch dive rge d 

about 4.5 million ye a rs ago (Randi et al., i n 

p rep). Concurrent rev i ews of existing mu s e u m 

specimens and accession of new skulls and 

p h o t ographs from the fi e l d, h ave also pro d u c e d 

i m p o rtant new info rm ation on the morp h o l ogical 

diffe re n c e s , d i s t ri bution and ecologi c a l 

b o u n d a ries distinguishing these (superfi c i a l ly 

similar) species in the Horn of A f rica (d’Huart 

and Gru bb, in prep.). Further studies on these 

a s p e c t s ,and the ecology, social behaviour and 

l i ke ly future conservation re q u i rements of P. 

a e t h i o p i c u sa re planned. 

Similar studies of new skull mat e rial fro m 

c e n t ral Laos led to the announcement of the red 

i s c ove ry of the Indo-chinese wa rty pig (S. 

bu c c u l e n t u s) , d e s c ription of a new subspecies 

of Philippine wa rty pig (S. philippensis olive ri) 

f rom Mindoro and a new species of wild pig 

f rom the Sulu Islands in the southern Philippines 

(for details see S p e c i e s3 0 , 1998). Unfo rt 

u n at e ly, the fo rmal description of this animal 

and the like ly discove ry of yet more new wild 

pig taxa from the Philippines was hampered by 

p ro blems associated with provision of perm i t s 

for the collection and ex p o rt of specimens fo r 

80 Species 

m t D NA studies, though it is hope that these 

will be re s o l ved in the near future. In the interi 

m , fo l l ow-up status surveys have underl i n e d 

the critical endange rment of the Vi s ayan wa rt y 

pig (S. ceb i f ro n s) and importance and urge n cy 

of the conservation bre e d i n g, re s e a rch and edu 

c ation projects now underway in three locations 

in Pa n ay and Negros Islands. Th e s e 

a c t ivities are being conducted under the aegi s 

of fo rmal agreements between the Dep a rt m e n t 

of Env i ronment and Nat u ral Resourc e s 

( D E N R ,G ovt. of the Philippines), the Zoological 

Society of San Diego and Rotterdam Zoo, 

and codicil agreements with local unive rs i t i e s 

and NGOs wh i ch implement these programmes. 

A similar agreement between the Gove rnments 

of India, Assam State Fo rest Dep a rtm 

e n t , D u rrell Wi l d l i fe Conservation Tru s t 

( fo rm e rly Je rs ey Wi l d l i fe Pre s e rvation Tru s t ) 

and the PPHSG, signed in 1995, e n abled the 

d evelopment of the Pigmy Hog Conservat i o n 

P rogra m m e. A wide ra n ge of field studies, 

p u blic awa reness and cap t ive breeding and res 

e a rch activities have been initiated since that 

t i m e, and a gre at deal of new info rm ation on 

the species’ e c o l ogy, b e h av i o u r, l i fe history and 

rep ro d u c t ive biology have been pro d u c e d. Unfo 

rt u n at e ly, d i s t ri bution wide surveys failed to 

p roduce evidence of any populations surv iv i n g 

outside the Manas National Pa rk and Ti ger Res 

e rve; thus underlining the crucial import a n c e 

of re s t o ring this highly thre atened area. In the 

i n t e ri m , h oweve r, the re m a rk ably successful 

b reeding project at the PHCP headquart e rs 

near Guwa h ati had resulted in a increase in the 

c ap t ive population from six to 68 individuals in 

five ye a rs; and plans and now being made to 

set-up a second local breeding centre and to exp 

l o re options for the possible future re i n t roduction 

of this species to selected, p ro t e c t e d 

a reas in nort h we s t e rn Assam. 

William Olive r, A n d rew Tab e r, 

Je a n - P i e rre d’Huart , and Rebecca Lewison

Polar Bear Specialist Gro u p 

The Polar Bear Specialist Group published the 

p roceedings of the Twelfth Wo rking Meeting, 

held in Feb ru a ry 1997 in Oslo Norway. Copies 

a re ava i l able from the IUCN Publ i c ations Services 

Unit or through request to PBSG memb 

e rs. The proceedings provide a detailed 

account of re s e a rch projects undert a ken and 

c u rrent management practices of all countri e s 

p a rty to the A greement on the Conservation of 

Polar Bear. Also included is a rev i ew of implem 

e n t ation of the A gre e m e n t , p o p u l ation stat u s 

a c c o u n t s ,and resolutions of the group. Also rec 

e n t ly published is B e a rs : S t atus Survey and 

Action Plan, by the Bear Specialist Group and 

the Polar Bear Specialist Group. This document 

serves as an excellent compendium of info 

rm ation rega rding all bear species. 

The member countries and associated specialists 

have been focusing effo rts on import a n t 

re s e a rch and management pri o rities during the 

i n t e rim period between wo rking group meetings. 

These incl u d e : m o n i t o ring PCB leve l s 

and potential effects on polar bear immune systems 

in the Sva l s b a rd Island complex; continued 

effo rts to re fine population boundaries and 

better understand sustainable harvest levels or 

the effects of harvests; eva l u ating new techniques 

to conduct aerial population censuses; 

eva l u ating the re l ationship between bears , 

s e a l s , and sea ice conditions; and eva l u at i n g 

n ew re s e a rch techniques to eva l u ate populations 

through ge n e t i c s , as well as detecting 

polar bear dens beneath snow using infra - re d 

t h e rmal sensing tech n o l ogy. 

M a n agement arra n gements for shared polar 

bear populations continue to operate effe c t ively 

in the Southern Beaufo rt Sea between the Inu 

p i at of Alaska and the Inuvialuit of Canada. A 

n ew bilat e ral polar bear conservation agre ement 

between the United States and Russia fo r 

polar bears in the Chukchi and Bering Seas has 

made steady progress towa rd completion. 

While Canada continues discussions with 

G reenland for developing similar conservat i o n 

agreements for populations shared betwe e n 

these countries in Davis Strait and Baffin Bay 

a re a s . 

The PBSG has scheduled it’s next meeting 

for Nuuk, G reenland in 2001 at a date yet to be 

d e t e rm i n e d. 

Scott Sch l i eb e, C o - ch a i r 

Species 81

P ri m ate Specialist Gro u p 

The Pri m ate Specialist Group has had a ve ry 

successful triennium in wh i ch it found a dedic 

ated funding source for pri m ate conservat i o n 

a c t iv i t i e s ,p roduced two action plans and dra f t s 

of seve ral others , put all four of its new s l e t t e rs 

and its journal on tra ck to appear on a reg u l a r 

b a s i s , i n c reased membership to 341, re c e ive d 

c o n s i d e rable media cove rage, and orga n i ze d 

and part i c i p ated in a number of important confe 

rences and wo rk s h o p s , i n cluding one 

gro u n d b reaking meeting that focused on a 

s t a n d a rd i zed taxonomy for all pri m ates. On top 

of this, our members we re invo l ved in the des 

c ription of some 13 new species and subspecies 

of pri m at e s , with a host of others 

i d e n t i fied but not yet offi c i a l ly descri b e d. 

These new discove ries helped to contri bute to 

the media interest in pri m at e s ,although it wa s 

c e rt a i n ly not the only issue cove re d. Bushmeat 

and increasing pri m ate hunting, e s p e c i a l ly in 

A f rica and China/Southeast A s i a , was also an 

issue of concern during the past four ye a rs ,a n d 

one in wh i ch the PSG has been active as we l l . 

In this brief rep o rt , we provide summaries of 

e a ch of these key activ i t i e s . 

Fi rs t , h oweve r, we re s t ate our most basic 

go a l ,in place now for nearly a quart e r- c e n t u ry : 

To maintain the current dive rsity of the Ord e r 

P ri m at e s ,with dual emphasis on: 

1 . e n s u ring the surv ival of cri t i c a l ly endange 

red and endange red pri m ates wh e reve r 

t h ey occur (pri m ate hotspots); and 

2 . p roviding effe c t ive protection for large 

nu m b e rs of pri m ates in areas of high prim 

ate dive rsity and abundance (major tro p ical 

wilderness are a s ) . 

This remains our most basic and most imp 

o rtant objective : e n s u ring the surv ival of all 

p ri m ate species, subspecies and distinct popul 

ations. W riting off any taxon is a mistake, a n d 

eve rything possible should be done to save 

even the most cri t i c a l ly endange red and depleted 

pri m ates. For this re a s o n , mu ch of our 

a c t ivity is focused on those that are in the 

gravest dange r. 

82 Species 

The Global Status of Pri m at e s 

Fi rst of all, we are ve ry proud of our conservation 

re c o rd for the last century. Although all 

other larger groups of mammals (>30 taxa) and 

most other larger groups of ve rt eb rates have 

lost at least one (and sometimes many more ) 

species and/or subspecies in the 20th century, 

the Order Pri m ates came through without the 

c o n fi rmed loss of a single taxon. A l t h o u g h 

t h e re is some question about the continued surv 

ival of a number of subspecies—Miss Wa ld 

ro n ’s red colobus (P ro c o l o bus badius 

wa l d ro n i) in West A f ri c a , B o u v i e r ’s re d 

c o l o bus (P ro c o l o bu s[p e n n a n t i i?] b o u v i e ri) in 

C e n t ral A f ri c a , and two subspecies of Hose’s 

leaf monkey or sureli (P re s bytis hosei hosei 

and P. h. canicru s) from Borneo—none are 

d e fi n i t e ly extinct. This is an impre s s ive re c o rd 

and one for wh i ch the modern Pri m ate Specialist 

Gro u p ,in existence now since 1977, c e rt 

a i n ly can take some credit. Nonetheless, t h e re 

is no room for complacency. A c c o rding to our 

l atest assessment, some 50 pri m ate taxa are 

n ow in the cri t i c a l ly endange red cat ego ry, w i t h 

some being down to only a few dozen or a few 

h u n d red individuals. A gre at deal of ve ry focused 

action will be needed over the nex t 

decade to ensure that we do not lose any prim 

ates in the wild. For this re a s o n , we are now 

compiling an Action Plan for the Cri t i c a l ly End 

a n ge re d, wh i ch we hope to launch at the Int 

e rn ational Pri m at o l ogical Society Congress in 

Adelaide in Ja nu a ry 2001. 

Funding for Pri m ate Conservat i o n 

We are ve ry fo rt u n ate in that we have been abl e 

to develop a dedicated funding source for prim 

ate conservation activities around the wo rl d. 

Although we have been able to draw support 

for pri m ate conservation projects from a va riety 

of diffe rent orga n i z at i o n s , the pri n c i p a l 

s o u rce since 1996 has been the Margot Mars h 

B i o d ive rsity Fo u n d ation. This fo u n d ation wa s 

c re ated in 1995 from the estate of the late Mar-

got Mars h , h e rself a dedicated pri m at o l ogi s t 

and conservat i o n i s t , who died in May of that 

ye a r. Her bequest was put into a fo u n d at i o n 

t h at now supports between $500-$700,000 of 

p ri m ate conservation projects eve ry ye a r. Th e 

Chair of the PSG is the President of this fo u nd 

at i o n , and one of our Deputy Chairs , B i l l 

Ko n s t a n t , s e rves as a program assistant to the 

a dv i s o ry committee. The fo u n d ation places 

gre at emphasis on rapid delive ry of re s o u rc e s 

with the least possible bu re a u c ra cy. It has both 

a Pri m ate Action Fund, a d m i n i s t e red thro u g h 

C o n s e rvation Intern at i o n a l , and twice-ye a rly 

meetings to rev i ew larger projects. Pri m ate A ction 

Fund grants are of modest size, ra n gi n g 

f rom $1,000-$5,000, but can often be turn e d 

a round in a matter of weeks from time of receipt 

of project to the issuance of a grant ch e ck . 

Since 1996, the Margot Marsh Biodive rs i t y 

Fo u n d at i o n ,either dire c t ly or through Conservation 

Intern at i o n a l ’s Pri m ate Action Fund, h a s 

s u p p o rted at least $2,000,000 wo rth of pri m at e 

p rojects in at least 24 countri e s , with a large 

p o rtion of them being identified or carried out 

by Pri m ate Specialist Group members. Pro m inent 

among the field projects are seve ral that 

h ave re c e ived continuing support , s u ch as 

s e a rches for new pri m ate species in Bra z i l i a n 

A m a zo n i a , the re i n t roduction and monitori n g 

of bl a ck - a n d - white ru ffed lemu rs (Va recia va ri 

egata va ri egat a) at the Betampona Nat u re Res 

e rve in Madaga s c a r, and ecological and 

b e h av i o ral studies of the nort h e rn mu ri q u i 

(B ra chyteles hy p ox a n t h u s) at the Carat i n ga Bio 

l ogical Station in Minas Gera i s , B ra z i l , a n d 

p ri m ates of the Colombian A m a zo n , B i o ko Isl 

a n d, E q u at o rial Guinea, and the Udzungwa 

M o u n t a i n s ,Tanzania. 

Action Plans 

R e c ognizing their ove rall import a n c e, and esp 

e c i a l ly the cat a lytic va l u e, we have continu e d 

to develop and produce action plans over the 

past four ye a rs. In 1996, we published the second 

plan for A f rican pri m at e s , A f rican Prim 

at e s : S t atus Survey and Conservation A c t i o n 

P l a n ,compiled by John F. Oat e s ,who also produced 

the Action Plan for A f rican Pri m at e 

C o n s e rvation 1986-1990, the fi rs t - ever SSC 

Action Plan, in 1986. 

G roup members led by Carey Ye ager (1999) 

also produced the Orang-Utan Action Plan, 

based on a PHVA wo rkshop orga n i zed by the 

CBSG in Medan, S u m at ra in 1993, and wh i ch 

details their status and the pri o rities for res 

e a rch and conservation action. It was supported 

by WWF Netherl a n d s ,WWF Indonesia and 

the Center for Env i ronmental Research and 

C o n s e rvation (CERC), Columbia Unive rs i t y, 

N ew Yo rk. We are also now invo l ved in fi n a l i zing 

an Action Plan for the Mesoamerican Prim 

at e s , c o - o rd i n ated by Co-Vice-Chair for the 

N e o t ro p i c s ,E rnesto Rodríguez-Luna. 

C u rre n t ly, a number of group members are 

compiling info rm ation that will be included in 

an Action Plan for the Cri t i c a l ly Endange re d 

and Endange red Pri m ates. This document will 

be based on suggested revisions to pri m ate taxo 

n o my that have emerged from a Feb ru a ry 

2000 wo rkshop (see below) sponsored by the 

Center for Env i ronmental Research and Cons 

e rvat i o n , the Disney Institute, and Conservation 

Intern at i o n a l , and on re c o m m e n d at i o n s 

t h at the conservation status of seve ral pri m at e 

species and subspecies be ch a n ged to re fl e c t 

i n c reasing thre ats to a number of wild pri m at e 

p o p u l ations. In add i t i o n , this action plan will 

i n clude a strat egy for action based large ly on 

s u p p o rt for ongoing scientific presence and 

gra s s - roots conservation projects linked to protected 

areas within ap p rox i m at e ly a dozen biod 

ive rsity hotspots re c e n t ly defined by 

C o n s e rvation Intern ational. These doze n 

h o t s p o t s , while cove ring less than 1% of 

E a rt h ’s land surfa c e, hold upwa rds of 85% of 

the wo rl d ’s most endange red pri m ate taxa as 

endemic species and subspecies. 


D u ring the past quadre n n i u m , PSG membership 

has increased to 341 members. We continue 

to be orga n i zed along the four major 

ge ographic areas in wh i ch pri m ates occur, t h e 

N e o t ro p i c s ,mainland A f ri c a ,M a d aga s c a r, a n d 

A s i a , and have been able to identify a Vi c e - 

Chair for each of these regions. For the 

N e o t ro p i c s ,we have two Vi c e - C h a i rs ,A n t h o ny 

B. Rylands, who also serves as a Co-Dep u t y 

Chair for the PSG as a wh o l e, and Ernesto Ro- 

Species 83

d r í g u e z - L u n a ,for A f rica we have Thomas But 

y n s k i ,for Madagascar Jörg U. Ganzhorn , a n d 

for Asia A rdith Eudey. Each of these Vi c e - 

C h a i rs is re s p o n s i ble for editing the regi o n a l 

n ew s l e t t e rs , n a m e ly Neotropical Pri m at e s , 

A f rican Pri m at e s , L e mur New and Asian Prim 

at e s ,most of wh i ch have been coming out on 

a regular basis. Rylands is also editor of our annual 

journ a l , P ri m ate Conservation. A l t h o u g h 

this stru c t u re has wo rked re a s o n ably well up 

until now, we are seeing an increasing need to 

s u b d ivide further by cre ating Vice-Chair positions 

for the larger sub-units of the continental 

s u b - d ivisions. This process will begin duri n g 

the next quadrennium. We will also put a Steering 

Committee in place, wh i ch will serve as the 

Red List Au t h o rity for Pri m ates (see below ) . 


Eighteen new s l e t t e rs we re printed and distri buted 

during 1997-2000: N e o t ropical Pri m at e s 

(12 issues), L e mur New s (3 issues), A f ri c a n 

P ri m at e s (1 issue); and Asian Pri m at e s (2 issues). 

The new s l e t t e rs we re ge n e ro u s ly supp 

o rted by nu m e rous institutions: The Margo t 

M a rsh Biodive rsity Fo u n d at i o n ,Vi rginia; Cons 

e rvation Intern ational do Bra s i l , Belo Horizonte; 

the Houston Zoological Gard e n s 

C o n s e rvation Progra m , Houston Zoo, Tex a s ; 

The Los A n geles Zoo, C a l i fo rnia; The Zoo A tlanta 

Biodive rsity Progra m , N a i robi; the National 

Museums of Ke nya , N a i robi; the 

P ri m ate Society of Gre at Britain (PSGB); the 

Z o o l ogical Institute and Zoological Museum 

of the Unive rsity of Hambu rg, H a m bu rg; and 

the German Pri m ate Center, G ö t t i n ge n . 

Two issues of P ri m ate Conservat i o n we re 

p u bl i s h e d :N u m b e rs 16 and 17 (1996-1997) (a 

combined single issue) and number 18 (1998). 

Number 16/17 (165pp.) was given over to the 

p roceedings of a symposium “ P ri m ate Conservat 

i o n : A Retro s p e c t ive and a Look into the 

21st Century,” o rga n i zed by the PSG duri n g 

the XVI Congress of the Intern ational Pri m at 

o l ogical Society, M a d i s o n , Wi s c o n s i n , Aug 

u s t , 1996. It incl u d e d : rev i ews of pri m at e 

c o n s e rvation and the key orga n i z at i o n s ; 

ove rv i ews of conservation activities and thre at s 

to pri m ates in the Neotro p i c s , M a d aga s c a r, 

A f rica and Asia; summaries for the Mentawa i 

84 Species 

Islands and Vietnam; and a series of rep o rts of 

case studies for species’ c o n s e rvation. Issue 

number 18 (95 pp.) included 15 art i cl e s , i ncluding 

rev i ews of the status of pri m ates in 

C a m e ro o n ,C h i n a , and Guatemala. The publ ic 

ation and distri bution of Pri m ate Conservation 

was supported by grants from the Margo t 

M a rsh Biodive rsity Fo u n d at i o n , in collab o ration 

with Conservation Intern at i o n a l ,Wa s h i n gt 

o n , D C , C o n s e rvation Intern ational do Bra s i l , 

Belo Hori zo n t e, the Los A n geles Zoo, C a l i fo rn 

i a , and the Unive rsity of Stony Bro o k , N Y. 

Media Cove rage 

Media cove rage of PSG member’s activ i t i e s 

has been ex c e l l e n t , focusing especially on the 

d i s c ove ries of new species. A crow n i n g 

a ch i evement was the announcement of the 

Wo rl d ’s Top 25 Most Endange red Pri m ates in 

Ja nu a ry, 2000. This was based on a brief rep o rt 

p roduced by a sub-committee of the PSG, 

wh i ch selected 25 of the then 30+ pri m at e s 

c o n s i d e red to be in the cri t i c a l ly endange re d 

c at ego ry in the 1996 Red List. This story wa s 

c ove red as a fo u r- p age fe at u re in Ti m e m agazine 

and ap p e a red as a partial cover on the 

A s i a n ,E u ropean and Latin A m e rican issues of 

Ti m e. The description of three new A m a zo n i a n 

m a rm o s e t s , in 1998 and 2000 also re c e ive d 

major global cove rage. The issue of bu s h m e at 

hunting in A f ri c a , the links between ch i m p s 

and A I D S, and chimp and go rilla hunting and 

the Ebola virus also at t racted a considerabl e 

media cove rage. 

Meetings and Wo rk s h o p s 

PSG membership part i c i p ated in and/or orga ni 

zed nu m e rous wo rkshops and meetings in the 

past four ye a rs , some of wh i ch are highlighted 

h e re. A Po p u l ation and Hab i t at Vi ab i l i t y 

A n a lysis (PHVA) wo rkshop for the lion 

t a m a ri n s , L e o n t o p i t h e c u s , was held in May 

1 9 9 7 , t h rough a collab o rat ive effo rt of the 

C B S G, the PSG and the Smithsonian Institut 

i o n ’s Golden Lion Ta m a rin Conservation 

P rogra m , in conjunction with a one-day symposium 

on the conservation biology of the 

ge nus. It was orga n i zed by the Fundação Biod 

ive rs i t a s ,Belo Hori zo n t e, and the results we re

p u blished in the fo rm of a full rep o rt by the 

C B S G. 

A Wo rkshop on Golden Monkey Research 

and Conservation was held in Au g u s t ,1 9 9 7 , i n 

R u a i ro u , B e i j i n g, China. It was supported by 

the Margot Marsh Biodive rsity Fo u n d at i o n , 

and the Zoological Society of San Diego , a n d 

b rought together field re s e a rch e rs , gove rn m e n t 

o ffi c i a l s , n at u re re s e rve manage rs , c o n s e rvation 

NGOs and the media to share info rm at i o n 

on the four thre atened species of Rhinopithecus 

and to discuss their conservation stat u s . 

The rep o rt will be published soon. 

An Intern ational Wo rkshop on the Rescue 

and Rehab i l i t ation of the Javan Gibb o n , H y l ob 

ates moloch , was held in Cisaru a , West Java , 

in August 1997. It was orga n i zed by Jat n a 

S u p ri atna and Barita O. Manu l l a n g, and sup- 

p o rted by a number of orga n i z ations incl u d i n g 

the Margot Marsh Biodive rsity Fo u n d ation and 

the Conservation Intern ational (CI) Indonesia 

P rogram. The proceedings we re published by 

CI-Indonesia and the Center for Biodive rs i t y 

and Conservation Studies of the Unive rsity of 

I n d o n e s i a . 

A PHVA Wo rkshop for the mu ri q u i , 

B ra chy t e l e s , was held in Belo Hori zo n t e, 

Minas Gera i s , B ra z i l ,in May, 1998. It was ru n 

by the Conservation Breeding Specialist Gro u p 

( C B S G ) , in collab o ration with PSG member 

K a ren B. Strier (Unive rsity of Wi s c o n s i n – 

M a d i s o n ) ,and was orga n i zed by the Bra z i l i a n 

NGO Fundação Biodive rs i t a s ,Belo Hori zo n t e, 

with Conservation Intern ational do Bra s i l . 

S p o n s o rship was provided by the Margo t 

M a rsh Biodive rsity Fo u n d ation. The document 

Species 85

a rising from this wo rkshop was published by 

the CBSG, and will guide and stimu l ate new 

e ffo rts for the conservation of the two species. 

The conservation of Vietnamese pri m at e s 

and their hab i t at was the subject of a wo rk s h o p 

in November 1998, o rga n i zed in Hanoi by the 

Fo re s t ry Protection Dep a rtment and the Vi e tnam 

bra n ch of the PSG. The status of the 25 

p ri m ates known to occur in Vietnam was disc 

u s s e d, resulting in seven being ra n ked as cri ti 

c a l ly endange re d, nine endange re d, and seve n 

as vulnerabl e. Only two we re assigned to the 

l ower risk cat ego ry. Guidelines we re set out fo r 

the elab o ration of an action plan for the cons 

e rvation of Vietnamese pri m at e s . 

The PSG also part i c i p ated stro n g ly in the 

XVIIth Congress of the Intern ational Pri m at ol 

ogical Society (IPS) at the Unive rsity of A nt 

a n a n a rivo , M a d aga s c a r, in Au g u s t , 1998; the 

l a rgest global fo rum for pri m at o l ogists. Th e 

meeting at t racted 550 part i c i p a n t s , was part ly 

funded by the Margot Marsh Biodive rs i t y 

Fo u n d at i o n ,and included a day-long wo rk s h o p 

o rga n i zed by the PSG—“The Wo rl d ’s Most 

E n d a n ge red Pri m ates and the Global Status of 

P ri m ate Conservation as We Enter The 21st 

C e n t u ry,” with pre s e n t ations on the conservation 

effo rt s , case studies and the status of end 

a n ge red pri m ates wo rl dw i d e. During the 

C o n gre s s , a meeting of the IPS Council vo t e d 

to include a rep re s e n t at ive of PSG on the 

Council in a non-voting cap a c i t y. This measure 

is intended to increase the joint effe c t iveness of 

IPS and PSG in IUCN mat t e rs. The PSG 

D eputy Chair, A n t h o ny B. Rylands was indic 

ated as the PSG rep re s e n t at ive on the Council. 

P ri m ate Ta x o n o my Wo rk s h o p 

One of the most important wo rkshops to take 

place over the past four ye a rs was for pri m at e 

t a x o n o my, “ P ri m ate Ta x o n o my for the New 

M i l l e n n i u m ,” held at the Disney Institute in Orl 

a n d o ,F l o ri d a , in Feb ru a ry 2000. It was orga ni 

zed by the PSG in collab o ration with Don 

M e l n i ck , E xe c u t ive Director of the Center fo r 

E nv i ronmental Research and Conservat i o n . , 

Columbia Unive rs i t y, N Y, and John F. Oat e s , 

Hunter College, City Unive rsity of New Yo rk , 

N Y, and was sponsored by the Margot Mars h 

86 Species 

B i o d ive rsity Fo u n d at i o n ,Vi rgi n i a ,and the Disn 

ey Institute, O rl a n d o , F l o rida. This was the 

fi rst time ever that field pri m at o l ogi s t s , t a x o no 

m i s t s ,b i oge ograp h e rs ,m o rp h o l ogists and geneticists 

had came together to ach i eve an 

agreed-upon taxonomic arra n gement for an 

O rder of mammals. Th ree major questions 

we re tabl e d : (1) The identifi c ation of taxa fo r 

wh i ch little is known or for wh i ch there is conflicting 

evidence and opinions from the diffe rent 

disciplines rega rding their systemat i c s ,a n d 

the validity or otherwise of described fo rm s ; 

(2) the establishment of a single taxonomic 

listing for the pri m at e s ,based on the ev i d e n c e 

ava i l able today, most part i c u l a rly from morp 

h o l ogical and genetic re s e a rch; and (3) the degree 

to wh i ch the identifi able taxa are curre n t ly 

t h re at e n e d, based upon the most re l i able info rm 

ation. The results we re impre s s ive and made 

some ve ry significant ch a n ges in our view of 

p ri m ate taxonomy. Some highlights: 

The Neotropical pri m ate families we re revised 

as fo l l ow s :C a l l i t ri ch i d a e, the marm o s e t s 

and tamarins; Aotidae (the single ge nus A o t u s 

and thereby distinguishing the night monkey s 

f rom all other Neotropical pri m ates); Pitheciidae 

(including Callicebu s , P i t h e c i a , C h iropotes 

and Cacajao); Atelidae (incl u d i n g 

A l o u at t a , A t e l e s , L ago t h ri x , O reonax and 

B ra chyteles); and Cebidae (re s t ricted to Cebu s 

and Saimiri ) . 

S eve ral new pri m ate ge n e ra we re add e d, 

b ri n ging the total number to 66. New ly re c ogn 

i zed ge n e ra include Mico (the A m a zo n i a n 

m a rm o s e t s ) , O reonax (the endemic ye l l ow - 

tailed wo o l ly monkey of Pe ru ) , and Bunopithecus 

(hoolock gi bbon) and Nomascus 

( c rested gi bb o n s ) . 

The number of gre at ape species has also inc 

re a s e d. Two species of ch i m p a n zee (Pa n 

t rog l o dytes and P. paniscus) continue to be re cog 

n i ze d. Four subspecies of P. trog l o dy t e s 

we re tentat ive ly accep t e d, i n cluding P. t . 

ve l l e ro s u s , f rom West A f rica. At least two 

species and four taxa of go rilla are now re c ogn 

i ze d, G o rilla go ri l l a (with subspecies go ri l l a 

and d i e h l i) and G. beri n gei ( s u b s p e c i e s 

b e ri n ge i and gra u e ri) , and the specialists 

agreed that the Bwindi-Impenetrable Fo re s t

go rilla population may rep resent a new taxon. 

O rangutans are now believed to be compri s e d 

of two species, Po n go ab e l i i on Sumat ra and 

Po n go pygmaeus on Born e o , with the latter including 

three to four subspecies. 

R e c og n i zed pri m ate species now total more 

than 300, and more than 600 taxa will be listed 

in the final rep o rt of the wo rkshop curre n t ly in 

p rep a ration. This revision and eva l u ation will 

fo rm the basis for the Action Plan for the Cri ti 

c a l ly Endange red and Endange red Pri m at e s , 

d e s c ribed ab ove. 

N ew Pri m ate Species 

In spite of more than four decades of intensive 

re s e a rch on pri m at e s , we still know re l at ive ly 

little about most of them. This was cl e a rly reflected 

in the past four ye a rs with the identific 

ation of many new fo rms and the scientifi c 

d e s c ription of no less than 13. These incl u d e : 

G a l agoides ro n d o e n s i s H o n e s s , 1997 fro m 

Tanazania; G a l agoides udzungwe n s i s H o n e s s , 

1996 also from Tanzania; Miopithecus ogo u e ns 

i s K i n g d o n ,1997 from Gabon; C e rc o p i t h e c u s 

c ephus ngo t t o e n s i sC o ly n ,1999 from the Cent 

ral A f rican Rep u blic; C e rcopithecus ery t h rogaster 

pocock i G ru bb, L e rnould and Oat e s , 

1999 from Nige ria; P ro c o l o bus ep i e n i ( G ru bb 

and Powe l l ,1999) also from Nige ria; M i c ro c ebus 

rave l o b e n s i s Z i m m e rm a n , 1997 fro m 

M a d agascar; P y gat h rix nemaeus cinere a 

Nadler 1997 from Vietnam; C a l l i t h rix sat e re i 

Souse e Silva Jr and Noro n h a , 1998; C a l l i t h ri x 

humilis Van Roosmalen, Van Roosmalen, M i tt 

e rmeier and Fo n s e c a , 1998 C a l l i t h rix manic 

o rensis Van Roosmalen, Van Roosmalen, 

M i t t e rmeier and Rylands, 2000; and C a l l i t h ri x 

a c a riensis Van Roosmalen, Van Roosmalen, 

M i t t e rmeier and Rylands, 2 0 0 0 , all from the 

c e n t ral A m a zon in Brazil; and C a l l i c ebu s 

c o i m b rai Ko b ayashi and Langg u t h , 1999 fro m 

the Atlantic fo rest of northeast Bra z i l . 

While some of these new pri m ates emerge 

f rom systematic rev i s i o n s ,reassessing the status 

of known mat e ri a l , the majority are new 

d i s c ove ries in the fi e l d, a ve ry exciting and 

amazing development for the end of the 20th 

c e n t u ry. Here we are in the new millennium 

with an incre d i bly sophisticated tech n o l ogi c a l 

society with the capacity to send spaceships to 

the fa rthest re a ches of the solar system and to 

put millions of bits of info rm ation on tiny computer 

ch i p s ,and yet we do not know how many 

species of our closest living re l at ives share the 

planet with us. Clearly, s y s t e m atics must go 

hand in hand with conservation effo rts as a 

major pri o rity for us in the next decade. 

IUCN/SSC Red List 

Fo l l owing dire c t ives from the SSC rega rd i n g 

the re s t ru c t u ring of the processes invo l ved in 

the maintenance of the IUCN Red List of 

Th re atened A n i m a l s ,the PSG Chair, Russell A . 

M i t t e rm e i e r, was appointed the Red List Aut 

h o rity for pri m ates wo rl dwide and ultimat e ly 

re s p o n s i ble for the cat ego ri z ation of all the prim 

ates according to the cat ego ries adopted by 

IUCN in 1994, and revised in 2000. The Red 

List Au t h o rity as such , h oweve r, will eve n t u a lly 

be the PSG Steering Committee. Conservation 

Intern ational and the Margot Mars h 

B i o d ive rsity Fo u n d ation have financed the revision 

of thre atened pri m at e s ,while the Center 

for Applied Biodive rsity Science (CABS) at 

C o n s e rvation Intern ational is financing the coo 

rd i n ation and drawing-up of the entire Red 

List 2000 of Th re atened Species through the 

Red List Program Offi c e r, C raig Hilton-Tay l o r. 

The PSG, s u p p o rted by the Margot Mars h 

B i o d ive rsity Fo u n d at i o n , is helping in the development 

of the softwa re for the Species Info 

rm ation System (SIS) data base, u s i n g 

p ri m ates to test the softwa re for re c o m m e n d ations 

for improvements during the its deve l o pment. 

The PSG part i c i p ated in a wo rkshop in 

Rome in March 2000, the goal of wh i ch was to 

d evelop guidelines for the full wo rking re l e a s e 

Ve rsion 1.0 softwa re of SIS, and to ensure that 

it meets the needs of the Specialist Groups as 

well as SSC’s vision to produce enhanced integrated 

biodive rsity analy s e s . 

With the support of Conservation Intern ational 

and the National Science Fo u n d at i o n , 

the PSG also part i c i p ated in a Wo rk s h o p 

“Using the IUCN Red List as an Indicator of 

B i o d ive rsity Tre n d s ,” held at Po rt Je ffe rs o n , 

Long Island, N ew Yo rk , U S A , in May 2000. 

The wo rkshop examined the potential of the 

Species 87

IUCN Red List of Th re atened Species in providing 

indicat o rs in terms of trends in the nu mber 

of thre atened species, the thre ats invo l ve d 

and the conservation measures wh i ch have 

been take n . 

The Next Four Ye a rs 

O ver the next four ye a rs , PSG effo rts will be 

c o n c e n t rated especially on the cri t i c a l ly endange 

red pri m at e s ,t h rough projects and strat egi e s 

wh i ch will be detailed in the fo rthcoming A ction 

Plan for the Cri t i c a l ly Endange red and End 

a n ge red Pri m ates. We will also continue our 

close collab o ration with the SSC in its longt 

e rm vision to set up a major system for monit 

o ring the status and trends in global 

b i o d ive rsity through The IUCN Red List of 

Th re atened Species and the SIS data base. Th e 

PSG will, as alway s , b e n e fit enorm o u s ly fro m 

c o l l ab o ration with the CBSG, e s p e c i a l ly in the 

o rga n i z ation of Conservation A s s e s s m e n t 

M a n agement Plans (CAMPs) for regional prim 

ate communities (some are planned for nex t 

ye a r ) , and a number of pri m ate field guides 

88 Species 

will be published through Conservation Intern 

at i o n a l ’s Tropical Field Guide Seri e s , i n cl u ding 

volumes for the pri m ates of the Guianas, 

C o l o m b i a ,the Atlantic fo re s t ,and for the marmosets 

and tamarins and the Asian colobines. 

The nu m e rous successes and advances we 

h ave ach i eved in pri m ate conservation over the 

last four ye a rs are of course due to the ex t ra o rd 

i n a ry dedication and determ i n ation of the 

PSG members and pri m ate conservat i o n i s t s 

wo rl dw i d e. Many of PSG’s ach i evements have 

been made possible due to the ge n e rosity of 

M a rgot Mars h , although fund-raising will need 

to be intensified to meet the enormous ch a ll 

e n ges wh i ch still face us in protecting thre atened 

pri m ates wo rl dw i d e. 

Russell A. Mitterm e i e r, C h a i r 

A n t h o ny B. Rylands and William R. Ko n s t a n t , 

D eputy Chairs 

A rdith Eudey, Tom Butynski, J ö rg U. 

G a n z h o rn ,and Ernesto Rodríguez-Luna 

R egional Vice Chairs

Seal Specialist Gro u p 

The activities of the Seal Specialist Gro u p 

(SSG) in pinniped conservation during the 

1997-1999 triennium can be conve n i e n t ly 

grouped into issues re l ated to (1) the conservation 

and management of pinniped species and 

(2) activities within the IUCN orga n i s at i o n , 

p a rt i c u l a rly the Species Surv ival Commission. 

Species Issues 

M e d i t e rranean Monk Seal 

The species to wh i ch most of the effo rts of the 

SSG we re devoted was the Mediterra n e a n 

monk seal, a species that remains Cri t i c a l ly 

E n d a n ge re d. This has been true for seve ra l 

ye a rs now and is a logical consequence of the 

fact that it wa rrants special attention because 

(a) little progress has been made in terms of 

p ractical conservation measure s , ap a rt from in 

M a d e i ra (The Desertas Islands) and (b) the 

ge n e ral philosophy of the SSG that it is of 

m o re value to wo rk on key species/areas than 

to try to maintain a balanced cove rage of all 

species identifi e d. 

The SSG has been heav i ly invo l ved in a 

c o n s e rvation programme for the monk seals in 

the we s t e rn Sahara (Mauritania and Moro c c o ) . 

At the request of the European Commission, 

the SSG fo rmed a Steering Group for the Spanish 

LIFE/CE Monk Seal Project. The Chair of 

the SSG and three other members fo rmed part 

of the Steering Group that was completed by 

i nviting the Re-introduction Specialist Gro u p 

to part i c i p at e. The Steering Group superv i s e d 

this project wh i ch focussed on the: 

1 . d e m ographics of the colony; 

2 . i d e n t i fi c ation of env i ronmental and anthrop 

ogenic thre at s ; 

3 . design of a management plan; and 

4 . costs and benefits of tra n s l o c ating animals 

to other sites in order to minimise the ri s k s 

for the colony wh i ch is now pra c t i c a l ly conc 

e n t rated in only two caves. 

U n fo rt u n at e ly the colony was hit by a mass 

m o rtality in mid-May 1997. In a period of 

about two months, t wo - t h i rds of the colony 

died and only just over 100 animals surv ive d. 

The SSG was alerted by the Spanish Monk 

Seal Research Team present in the area and an 

E m e rge n cy Expert Meeting was held at 

S chiphol (Amsterdam) to determine the cause 

and determine measures to mitigate the impact 

of the die-off. Based on the discussions and 

re c o m m e n d ations at that meeting, the part i c ipants 

developed an Emerge n cy Action Plan 

t h at was discussed within the Steering Gro u p . 

After a visit to Mauritania by the chair of the 

S S G, agreement from the re s p o n s i ble Mauritanian 

authorities on the Plan was obtained and 

its implementation began. The EC, I FAW, 

U N E P, C M S, F I BA , the European Heri t age 

Fund and WWF supported the Action Plan. 

D u ring implementation and despite their earl ier 

agre e m e n t , a locally present Dutch re h ab i l it 

ation team sadly made direct interve n t i o n s 

against the Plan. The isolated operation of that 

group lead to confusion, d e l ay and unnecessary 

o b s t ruction of the Plan. Howeve r, despite this 

regre t t able and acrimonious deb ate on the best 

way to ap p ro a ch the emerge n cy, the effo rts of 

the SSG resulted in tremendous co-operat ive 

assistance in the fi e l dwo rk by many orga n i s ations 

and significant funds we re raised to implement 

the Plan. 

In December 1997, the SSG organised an 

i n t e rn ational wo rkshop on the causes and consequences 

of the mort a l i t y. Pa ra lytic Shellfi s h 

Poison toxins in seal brain and liver tissue we re 

d e t e c t e d. The wo rkshop found that there wa s 

s t rong evidence for the presence of a bloom of 

t oxic algae in the region of Cap Blanc (ap p roxi 

m at e ly 20 km south of the caves) at the time of 

the mass mort a l i t y, and that seals wh i ch had 

died during that time had been exposed to these 

t oxins. Fo l l owing a “ weight of ev i d e n c e ” app 

ro a ch , it was concluded that biotoxins we re 

p ro b ably the pri m a ry cause for the die-off. 

The wo rkshop also discussed the implications 

of the die-off for the future viability and 

Species 89

m a n agement of the Atlantic population. A 

wide spectrum of options we re discussed including 

“laissez fa i re,” va c c i n at i o n , c o n s t ru ction 

of an emerge n cy holding fa c i l i t y, 

re h ab i l i t ation and re l e a s e, c ap t ive bre e d i n g, re - 

i n t roduction to the Canari e s ,re - e n fo rcement of 

the Madeira population and hab i t at enhancement. 

Full details are given in the rep o rt of the 

wo rkshop (J. Harwo o d, D. Lavigne & P. Reijnd 

e rs 1998. Wo rkshop on the causes and consequences 

of the 1997 mass mortality of 

M e d i t e rranean monk seals in the we s t e rn 

S a h a ra ,A m s t e rd a m ,December 1997. IBN Scie 

n t i fic Contri butions 11, 32 p. Institute fo r 

Fo re s t ry & Nat u re Research , Wage n i n ge n ,Th e 

N e t h e rl a n d s ) . 

Based on field studies carried out in the are a 

in 1997 and 1998, the size of the colony is est 

i m ated at 109 animals. No recent surveys have 

been carried out, so the actual size of the 

c o l o ny is not known. Besides, giving the int 

rinsic rates of increase of this species, it is predicted 

that it should any way not be expected to 

detect an increase until about 5-8 ye a rs time (J. 

Fo rc a d a , P. S. Hammond & A. Aguilar 1999. 

S t atus of the Mediterranean monk seal, 

M o n a chus monach u s , in the we s t e rn Sahara 

and the implications of a mass mortality eve n t . 

M a r. Ecol. Progr. Ser. 188: 249-261). 

Pa rt of the SSG-initiated Rescue Plan included 

the development of a National Mauritanian 

Strat egy for the Conservation of the 

Monk Seal in the We s t e rn Sahara. The driv i n g 

fo rce behind this was the fact that befo re, d u ring 

and after the die-off, it proved to be 

ex t re m e ly complicated to act sw i f t ly and effic 

i e n t ly in the absence of a coherent and we l l - 

s t ru c t u red institutional and operat i o n a l 

f ra m ewo rk. It is env i s aged that only those cons 

e rvation and re s e a rch activities (eva l u ated and 

agreed upon by the Task Fo rce re s p o n s i ble fo r 

the implementation of the Plan) incorp o rat e d 

into the National Strat egy, will be accepted by 

the Mauritanian authorities for implementation. 

In order to develop this furt h e r, the SSG organised 

a planning meeting in Mauritania on 

the Rescue Action Plan, wh i ch drafted a bri e f 

outline for the National Strat egy wh i ch wa s 

then adopted. Amongst others , rep re s e n t at ive s 

f rom the Ministry of Env i ronment and the 

M i n i s t ry of Fi s h e ri e s ,we re present who are res 

p e c t ive ly re s p o n s i ble for Nat u re Conservat i o n 

90 Species 

and for Management of Marine Resourc e s , i ncluding 

the quality of the marine env i ro n m e n t . 

Th ey we re accompanied by their scientific adv 

i s o ry institutions, re s p e c t ive ly the Pa rc National 

du Banc d’Arguin (PNBA) and the 

C e n t re National des Rech e rches Océanographiques 

et des Pêches (CNROP). These institutions 

re c e ived a strong mandate from the 

M a u ritanian Gove rnment to further deve l o p 

and implement the Strat egy. 

The Conservation Strat egy comprises thre e 

p a rt s : 

• the National Strat egy, i n cluding its position 

in a national and intern ational contex t , n ational 

responsibilities and the ge n e ra l 

f ra m ewo rk of a conservation strat egy; 

• An Action Plan, i n cluding a re s e a rch and 

m o n i t o ring programme to add ress long 

t e rm re s e a rch activ i t i e s , the monitoring of 

p o p u l ation and env i ronmental para m e t e rs , 

the eva l u ation of possible conservation ins 

t ruments such as re h ab i l i t at i o n ,re l o c at i o n , 

m a rine re s e rve s , c ap t ive bre e d i n g, awa reness 

campaigns, and improvement and enfo 

rcement of reg u l at i o n s ; 

• an Emerge n cy Plan, i n cluding an inve n t o ry 

of potential hazard s , the identifi c ation of the 

roles and responsibilities of the co-ord i n ating 

bodies and direct part i c i p a n t s . 

The PNBA and CNROP have drafted the 

“ N ational Strat egy, Action Plan and Emerge 

n cy Plan,” and it has been circ u l ated for rev 

i ew to national and intern ational ex p e rts and 

ex p e rt orga n i s ations invo l ved in monk seal 

c o n s e rvation. The entire Plan has been adopted 

and fi n a l i s ation is expected soon. 

On seve ral occasions, m e m b e rs of the SSG 

h ave part i c i p ated at intern ational symposia and 

p resented pap e rs on monk seal conservat i o n 

and/or re s e a rch. Two meetings especially devoted 

to monk seals we re the “Meeting of Exp 

e rts on the Implementation of the A c t i o n 

Plans for marine mammals, monk seal and 

c e t a c e a n s , adopted within the Mediterra n e a n 

Action Plan,” held in A rt a , G re e c e, and the 

“ Wo rkshop on the Biology and Conservat i o n 

of the Wo rl d ’s Endange red Monk Seals,” h e l d 

d u ring the Wo rld Marine Mammal Science 

C o n fe rence in Monaco in 1997. UNEP and 

S PA / R AC organised the A rta meeting, and the

Chair of SSG, with the assistance of SSG 

m e m b e rs , p rep a red a document for that meeting 

entitled “ Vu l n e rability of small Mediterranean 

monk seal groups and conservat i o n 

p o l i cy.” 

The Monaco meeting was jointly orga n i s e d 

by the Society for Marine Mammalogy and the 

E u ropean Cetacean Society. Members of the 

SSG gave pre s e n t ations at this meeting wh i ch 

a dd ressed re s e a rch and conservation of both 

the Mediterranean and the Hawaiian monk 

s e a l . 

C a ri bbean Monk Seal 

An expedition to inve s t i gate the supposed extinction 

of the Cari bbean monk seal gave ri s e 

to ex p e c t ations that the species may still ex i s t 

in the West Indies (I.L. Boyd & M.P. Stanfi e l d 

1998. Evidence for the presence of monk seals 

in the West Indies. O ry x 3 2 : 310-316). Th e 

SSG was invo l ved and endorsed a further expedition 

in 1999 to visit like ly sites for monk 

seals on the eastern coast of Cuba. Interv i ew s 

with fi s h e rmen from that are a , some of them 

older than 80 ye a rs of age, revealed that they 

had no recollection of seals ever having been 

s i g h t e d. From this it ap p e a rs that , c o n t ra ry to 

Jamaica and nort h e rn Haiti, t h e re is a low pro bability 

of monk seals being present in eastern 

Cuba and it seems like ly that monk seals have 

not been there for seve ral decades at least. 

H o o ke r ’s Sea Lion 

The SSG was alerted about the mass mort a l i t y 

of Hooke r ’s sea lions in Ja nu a ry 1998, and part 

i c i p ated indire c t ly in the discussions on a programme 

to identify the causes of the die-off. 

The outcome of the in-depth inve s t i gations is 

not yet concl u s ive and the culprit remains uncl 

e a r. The impact of biotoxins is considere d 

one of the more like ly possibilities. Neve rt h el 

e s s , the population seems to be re c ove ri n g 

well and it is predicted that within ap p rox im 

at e ly 5 ye a rs the population should be back 

at its pre - d i e - o ff level. 

Miscellaneous Mat t e rs 

D u ring the past triennium the SSG has rec 

e ived a large number of requests for info rm ation 

on nearly all pinniped species, in terms of 

a dv i c e, c o n s u l t ation or re fe rence mat e ri a l . 

Some requests re q u i red a brief response or 

guidance to other sources of info rm at i o n ,o t he 

rs re q u i red a thorough response and consultation 

within the SSG. This is an important part 

of the wo rk of the SSG, wh e reby it acts as an 

i n t e rm e d i a ry between the scientific ex p e rt i s e 

and know l e d ge of its members and the desire 

for info rm ation by management authori t i e s , 

other scientists or interested members of the 

ge n e ral publ i c. 


R e l ated Issues 

S S C ’s New Strat egic Dire c t i o n 

In 1998, the SSC intensified discussions on its 

second Strat egic Plan. Th at Plan was meant to 

re n ew the SSC’s strat egic planning cy cle and 

wo rk towa rds defining a conservation age n d a 

for the 21st Century. The SSG has part i c i p at e d 

in the va rious activities aimed at fo c u s s i n g 

v i ews on the future ge n e ral strat egy of the 

S S C , with emphases on pinnipeds wh e re re l evant. 

This rep resents the ove rall SSC Strat egi c 

P l a n , and will add ress inter alia biodive rs i t y 

c o n s e rvat i o n ,the re s t o ration of ecosystems and 

ecosystem function. Howeve r, S p e c i a l i s t 

G roups have their own responsibility within 

the fra m ewo rk of the Strat egic Plan. Th ey mu s t 

d e fine their own perc eption in the context of a 

b road view of wh at is re q u i re d. The interest of 

the Seal Specialist Gro u p ,for ex a m p l e, in dealing 

with larger aquatic top pre d at o rs ,might lie 

on conservation actions that focus on species 

and their re l ated ecosystem context. The wh o l e 

p rocess of Strat egic Planning is still evo l v i n g 

and will be re fined over time. Some elements 

of re l evance to the future wo rk of the SSG are 

discussed at the end of this rep o rt . 

IUCN-SSC Red List Program 

The SSC has rev i ewe d, and in 1994 adopted, 

the IUCN Red List Cat ego ries and Cri t e ri a . 

The SSG has been and remains invo l ved in 

this. Within the IUCN Red List Progra m , t h e 

C ri t e ria Rev i ew is an important process. To imp 

rove the objectivity of the Listings, the SSC 

has established Red List Au t h o rities for all taxonomic 

groups. The SSG is the re s p o n s i ble aut 

h o rity for all pinnipeds included on the IUCN 

Red List. The task is considerably more lab o u ri 

n t e n s ive than in fo rmer times. Much time has 

Species 91

a l re a dy been devoted to the documentation req 

u i rements and taxonomic standard s , wh i ch 

must now be ex t e n s ive and compre h e n s ive. 

The SSG expects to have completed this aspect 

of its wo rk by the end of 2000, for all species 

in the most thre atened cat ego ries i.e. Cri t i c a l ly 

E n d a n ge re d, E n d a n ge red and Vu l n e rabl e. 

F u t u re Focus of the SSG 

It is evident that in the near future the co-operation 

between existing Specialist Groups will 

i n c rease and additional ex p e rtise beyond the 

p resent species-ori e n t ated Groups will be req 

u i re d. Th at will influence the wo rk of the 

S S G. Another ongoing development is a shift 

t owa rds conserving species through hab i t at 

p ro t e c t i o n , rather than focusing on indiv i d u a l 

species. The designation of hab i t ats to be cons 

e rved should be based on support and pro t e ction 

of outstanding ch a ra c t e ristic hab i t at s , a n d 

i n d ependent of whether or not they contain 

v u l n e rable species. Although still remaining of 

s e rious concern , h ab i t at protection and conservation 

of ecosystems through ensuring suffi- 

92 Species 

cient size, maintaining hab i t at dive rsity and 

rep re s e n t at ive trophic stru c t u res with all cri t ical 

species, t ranscends consideration of individual 

species. The SSG has developed ideas 

on how to distinguish “pinniped manage m e n t 

u n i t s ” and how to incorp o rate them into a 

m e t a - m a n agement unit concep t ,to eva l u ate dem 

ographic developments in those units and assess 

their status with respect to env i ro n m e n t a l 

fa c t o rs in an hab i t at/ecosystem contex t . 

It is evident that the predicted cl i m at e 

ch a n ge will affect pinniped populat i o n s , e i t h e r 

d i re c t ly (e. g. through ch a n ges in phy s i o l ogy 

and behaviour) or indire c t ly (e. g. thro u g h 

ch a n ges in distri bution and abundance of prey 

species). The critical question is to wh at ex t e n t 

these ch a n ges will affect population para m et 

e rs. Know l e d ge on hab i t at re q u i rements of 

key pinniped species is a pre - requisite in detecting 

ch a n ges at an early stage and thus enabling 

the provision of adequate manage m e n t 

a dv i c e. 

Peter J.H. Reijnders ,C h a i r

S i renia Specialist Gro u p 

The activities of the Sirenia Specialist Gro u p 

a re focussed through the newsletter S i re n ew s 

wh i ch ap p e a rs twice a year in Ap ril and October 

thanks to the enthusiastic and skilled editing 

of Daryl Domning of Howa rd Unive rsity in 

Washington DC. Sire n ews is supported by US 

M a rine Mammal Commission and Sea Wo rl d 

I n c. The newsletter is now on line at http:// 

p ega s u s . c c. u c f.edu/~smm/>. Both Manat e e 

and Dugong Action Plans are in and adva n c e d 

s t age of prep a ration and are scheduled fo r 

completion later in 2000. 

The Specialist Group has been asked to provide 

a advice to the Malaysian Gove rn m e n t 

and Wo rld Wide Fund Japan about controve r- 

sies concerning dugongs in those countri e s . 

The good news is that dugongs had been cons 

i d e red extinct in both countries. The bad new s 

is that these populations are small and under 

c o n s i d e rable anthro p ogenic thre ats. 

The group re c o rds with sadness the death of 

C i c e ly Kate Ricardo Bert ram in Gra ff h a m , 

S u s s ex , E n g l a n d. With her husband Colin, 

B e rt ram did more than any other individuals to 

usher in the modern era of sirenian biology and 

c o n s e rvation. Their wo rk was a major stimu l u s 

for establishing the Sirenia Specialist Group of 

wh i ch Colin was the fi rst ch a i r. 

Helene Mars h , C o - ch a i r 

Species 93

Social Insects Specialists Gro u p 

The Social Insects Specialists Group (SISG) 

c ove rs a taxonomically heterogeneous gro u p 

of about 15,000 -20,000 insects, not impre s s ive 

by an expected few million insects in total, bu t 

by their important ecological role in almost any 

t e rre s t rial ecosystem. Their role as pollinat o rs , 

p re d at o rs ,t ra n s fo rm e rs of dead organic mat e rial 

and in some cases aggre s s ive inva s ive 

species is well establ i s h e d. Their high abu nd 

a n c e, t ogether with the re l at ive ly poor know le 

d ge of their systemat i c s , e c o l ogy, a n d 

d i s t ri bution was the basis for ch a n ging the obj 

e c t ives from species protection to monitori n g 

p u rp o s e s , e. g. the impact of loggi n g, re s t o ration 

actions or impact of cl i m ate ch a n ge on 

their communities. The vision of the group is to 

p rovide a wo rld wide monitoring system fo r 

social insects through the provision of standard 

t e ch n o l ogies wh i ch measure and assess their 

dynamics in biodive rs i t y, and offer tech n i c a l 

and online support (e. g. leaf litter ant sample 

b a n k , a l l owing to submit, s t o re, and re t ri eve 

s t a n d a rd i zed ant samples and summary info rm 

ation). A special project is the provision of 

a s - re a l - t i m e - a s - p o s s i ble info rm ation on invas 

ive species. 

The past triennium was ch a ra c t e ri zed by an 

ex t e n s ive build-up of infra s t ru c t u re for a future 

e fficient use of social insects in conservat i o n , 

using as efficient new cyber tools as well social 

insects to contri bute to the monitoring and cons 

e rvation of our env i ronment. The coming triennium 

will be used both to finish the 

i n f ra s t ru c t u re as well as to promote and make 

use of it. 

94 Species 

Goals 1997–1999 

The goal of the passed triennium was to deve lop 

and provide tools to use social insects in 

c o n s e rvat i o n , and to provide online info rm ation 

on introduced social insect species. 

A ch i eve m e n t s 

• The manual “ M e a s u ring and Monitori n g 

B i o l ogical Dive rs i t y :S t a n d a rd Methods fo r 

G round Living A n t s ” is in press at Smithsonian 

Institution Press and will be ava i lable 

in Fall 2000. This edited vo l u m e 

a dvo c ates standard collecting protocols so 

collection data over space and time can be 

c o m p a re d. 

• An accompanying web site (SIWeb) is 

under construction and should be re l e a s e d 

in a new ve rsion on October 2000. This site 

will include online access to the systemati 

c s , b i bl i ograp hy, and thre at to all ants (and 

within the next three ye a rs social wasps and 

t e rm i t e s ) ,as well as an increasing dat ab a s e 

on distri bution. A special fe at u re will be the 

ant sample bank, wh e re ant samples can be 

submitted and re t ri eve d, a l l owing comparison 

of ant samples over time and space. 

• One training course for measuring and 

m o n i t o ring social insects held in Bra z i l 

1 9 9 8 .

• Successful ap p l i c ation and use of ants in 

c o n s e rvation studies. 

• NASA grant to develop methodology to 

combine remote sensing data with standard 

s a m p l e s . 

• A wo rking SIWeb prototype for intro d u c e d 

social insect species has been released and 

is online. 

• Pa rt i c i p at i o n ’s on SBSTTA 3 and GBF in 

N ew Yo rk and Montre a l , 1 9 9 7 , to lobby fo r 

the use of standard collecting protocols and 

the inclusion of species based indicat o rs . 

• Link with CREO 

N egat ive points 

• Poor commu n i c ations with other re l at e d 

groups and task fo rces within SSC. 

• No interest and support ge n e rated within 

SSC for standard monitoring pro t o c o l s . 

• S t agnant membership within SISG. 

Goals for Triennium 2000–2002 

• O p e rational SIWeb site to support the use of 

social insects in conservation (Intera c t ive 

ant sample bank; Introduced species page s ) 

• A c t ivation of members of SISG to prov i d e 

a global netwo rk of introduced social ins 

e c t s . 

• R e s t ru c t u re SISG and appoint the re s p e ct 

ive motivated specialists 

• Focus on ants and social wa s p s , and coord in 

ation with bees 

• P romotion and social insects in conservation 

manage m e n t 

• D evelopment of GIS for Red List ants and 

wa s p s , if possible for introduced ants and 

social wa s p s . 

D o n at A go s t i ,C h a i r 

E - m a i l :ago s t i @ a m n h . o rg 

Species 95

South Asian Reptile and Amphibian Specialist Gro u p 

Fo l l owing the Second Confe rence of the Specialist 

Group at the Unive rsity of Pe ra d e n i ya 

( Au g u s t , 1 9 9 6 ) , s eve ral projects have been 

c o n d u c t e d. The Proceedings of the Confe re n c e 

was published in 1998, in a volume entitled 

“ B i o l ogy and conservation of the amphibians, 

reptiles and their hab i t ats in south A s i a ,” e d i t e d 

by Specialist Group Member and Country 

R ep re s e n t at ive, Anslem De Silva , of the Unive 

rsity of Pe ra d e n i ya. It lists all pap e rs and abs 

t racts presented at the Confe re n c e, i n cl u d i n g 

c o u n t ry rep o rts for each country in the south 

Asian region. Copies of the Proceedings are 

ava i l able from the Editor (A. De Silva , Fa c u l t y 

of Medicine, U n ive rsity of Pe ra d e n i ya , Pe ra 

d e n i ya , S ri Lanka; E-mail: a n s l e m @ m e d. 

p d n . a c.lk). 

S u p p o rted by the Pe o p l e ’s Trust for Endange 

red Species, a U.K.-based ch a ri t y, I n d ra n e i l 

D a s , Chair of this Specialist Group visited 

M ya n m a r, to assess the herp e t o l ogical conservation 

status of that country. A rep o rt and a 

b i bl i ograp hy of conservation biology of Mya nmar 

was prep a red and distri bu t e d. In ge n e ra l , 

t h e re was significant interest locally in the herp 

e t o fauna of that country, wh i ch is import a n t , 

given the country ’s high endemicity and the 

s c a rcity of know l e d ge of the conservation status 

of these species. 

A series of Conservation Assessment and 

M a n agement Planning (CAMP) Wo rk s h o p s 

we re organised by Sally Wa l ker and Sanjay 

M o l u r, of the Zoo Outre a ch Orga n i s at i o n 

( Z O O ) , wh i ch had the support of this Specialist 

Group. Many Members part i c i p ated in the 

CAMP Wo rkshops for amphibians and rept 

i l e s ,held in Ap ri l ,1997 in Bhubaneswa r, I n d i a 

and in May, 1997 in Coimbat o re, I n d i a , res 

p e c t ive ly. The conservation status of virt u a l ly 

eve ry nominal species of Indian amphibians 

and reptiles we re assessed during these wo rkshops. 

A similar exe rcise was carried out by the 

Amphibia and Reptile Research Orga n i s at i o n 

and ZOO, also involving part i c i p ation of the 

Specialist Group Members , in Nove m b e r, 

1 9 9 9 . 

96 Species 

S t a n d a rd i s ation of techniques for field and 

other aspects of re s e a rch on the herp e t o fa u n a 

was found to be an important issue at these 

Wo rk s h o p s , and a “Hands-on Training Wo rkshop 

for Amphibian Field Te ch n i q u e s ,I d e n t i fic 

ation and Ta x o n o my ” was organised by 

D e clining Amphibian Po p u l ations Task Fo rc e 

South Asia/Zoo Outre a ch Orga n i s at i o n / C o ns 

e rvation Breeding Specialist Group- India, i n 

c o l l ab o ration with this Group at Ke m p h o l ey, 

I n d i a , in December, 1998. The Specialist 

G roup Chair served as a Resource Pe rs o n ,a n d 

s eve ral Members part i c i p at e d. A second wo rkshop 

for the south Asian herp e t o fa u n a ,is now 

planned for 2001. 

Realising that there is minimal imfo rm at i o n 

ava i l able on the herp e t o fauna of Bhutan, at the 

i nv i t ation of Specialist Group Member, J i g m e 

Pa l d e n , a “ Training Wo rkshop on Herp e t o l ogical 

Research and Management Te ch n i q u e s ,” 

o rganised by the Royal Bhutan Fo rest Dep a rtment 

and the Wo rld Wide Fund for Nat u re - 

Bhutan in Ju n e, 1999 was held at Gelep h u , 

Bhutan. Palden and the Chair part i c i p ated as 

R e s o u rce Pe rsons. Te chniques for field wo rk , 

i n cluding sampling and monitoring we re 

d e m o n s t rated to personnel of the Nat i o n a l 

Pa rk s ,the Wo rkshop also leading to a publ i c ation 

on the herp e t o fauna of Bhutan (in press in 

H e rp e t o l ogical Rev i ew ) . 

Fi n a l ly, the Group is planning its Th i rd 

C o n fe rence during the Fo u rth Wo rld Congre s s 

of Herp e t o l ogy, to be held in Colombo, S ri 

L a n k a , in 2001. A draft of the Action Plan of 

the Specialist Group was prep a red and discussed 

by key members of the Gro u p , i n cl u ding 

Country Rep re s e n t at ive s , and it is hoped 

t h at the same would hopefully be ava i l able fo r 

d i s t ri bution at this meeting. 

I n d raneil Das, C h a i r 

E - m a i l :i d a s @ m a i l h o s t . u n i m a s . my

Tapir Specialist Gro u p 

M u ch of the info rm ation needed to develop effe 

c t ive conservation strat egies for the four tap i r 

species is still unknown. Basic facts of biology, 

b e h av i o r, e c o l ogy, and ra n ge are uncert a i n . 

D u ring the past triennium some pre l i m i n a ry 

s t eps have been taken to meet the conservat i o n 

needs of tap i rs wo rl dw i d e. Commu n i c at i o n 

among tapir wo rke rs has grow n , fa c i l i t ated by 

the Internet and the e-mail list “ Tapir Ta l k .” A n 

Action Plan has been written and publ i s h e d. 

This is a begi n n i n g, and now we must implement 

the suggestions in the Plan. The A c t i o n 

Plan was published in book fo rm , and then became 

the fi rst Plan to have full text publ i s h e d 

on the Internet via the Tapir Specialist Gro u p ’s 

web site. The site itself is another enhancement 

of our wo rk over the past three ye a rs. Th e 

gro u p ’s new s l e t t e r, Tapir Conservat i o n ,h a s ,i n 

2 0 0 0 ,grown to a twice-ye a rly publ i c ation with 

i n c reasing circ u l ation. To further commu n i c at 

i o n s , an all-tapir confe rence is being planned 

for 2001 or 2002; it will pro b ably be held in 

Costa Rica. 

M o re field projects have been undert a ken in 

the past few ye a rs than at any time in history. 

While data is beginning to come in from these 

p ro j e c t s ,we still have a lot of wo rk ahead of us. 

We expect the next triennium to included surveys 

to cl a rify wh e re tap i rs still surv ive, to attempt 

to estimate their nu m b e rs , and to 

d e t e rmine connectivity between populat i o n s . 

Th re ats in most areas are re a s o n ably well docu 

m e n t e d, but must be monitored and add 

re s s e d. 

D i s c ove ries and A ch i eve m e n t s 

As the last triennium of the 1900s comes to an 

e n d, and as IUCN celeb rates fifty ye a rs of cons 

e rvat i o n , the Tapir Specialist Group wo u l d 

l i ke to share some of the discove ries that will 

lead us into our next phase of wo rk and our 

n ext set of ch a l l e n ges. 

The Asian tapir (Tap i rus indicus) has now 

become the least studied of the tapir species, 

and vies with the mountain tapir as the most 

t h re at e n e d. Seve ral effo rts are now being un- 

d e rt a ken on its behalf. The Copenhagen Zoo 

and the Nat u ral History Museum of Copenh 

agen have combined re s o u rces for a pro p o s e d 

l o n g - t e rm ra d i o - c o l l a ring study of the tap i rs in 

K ra u ,M a l aysia. Basic biology of this species is 

still large ly unknow n , and the study will be 

l i n ked with studies in cap t iv i t y. 

Jasmi bin A b d u l , D i rector of Wi l d l i fe and 

N ational Pa rks for Malaysia rep o rts that the 

t apir is not hunted for food in Malay s i a , a n d 

t h at hab i t at protection and public educat i o n 

should be the focus of conservation effo rt s . 

C a m e ra - t rapping projects (none ex cl u s ive ly 

about the tapir) in Malay s i a , Th a i l a n d, and Indonesia 

have begun to reveal aspects of this 

most nocturnal of the tapir species. In southern 

S u m at ra ,the only place the tapir is found in Ind 

o n e s i a ,Je re my Holden and Debbie Martyr rep 

o rt the situation as desperat e, with fi re s , 

d ro u g h t , and lumbering all taking place in national 

parks as summer, 2 0 0 0 , ap p ro a ch e s . 

Th ey have found that there is a regular cl i e n t e l e 

for tapir parts in some local markets. Holden is 

b eginning to compile ye a rs of data he has collected 

on the tap i rs there. Wilson Nova rino of 

S u m at ra has begun a project to study fe e d i n g 

h abits of T. indicus in the southern part of the 

i s l a n d. 

In southern México, wh e re healthy populations 

of Baird ’s tapir (Tap i rus baird i i) still 

ex i s t , s eve ral study and conservation pro j e c t s 

a re ongo i n g. Eduardo Naranjo and a number of 

students have collected data for seve ral ye a rs , 

and are beginning the ra d i o - c o l l a ring phase of 

their wo rk. 

The Upper Macal and Raspaculo rive rs in 

the Central Maya Mountains of Belize still 

p rovide safe sanctuary for a ro bust populat i o n 

of Baird ’s tap i rs , but the va l l ey is still under 

t h re at from a poorly-planned proposed dam. 

As of this wri t i n g, the project has been put on 

hold as more wildlife studies have been called 

for from va rious orga n i z ations. This may be 

one of the last places in Central A m e rica wh e re 

the species thrives in an unintervened fo re s t 

h ab i t at. Field inve s t i gations here, u n d e rt a ke n 

Species 97

over the past decade by Sharon Mat o l a , h ave 

s h own that the animals seem to travel in pairs 

m o re fre q u e n t ly than has been noted in the lite 

rat u re. Pa i red or ap p a re n t ly paired animals 

h ave now been rep o rted in all species from va rious 

locat i o n s . 

C h a rles and Sonia Fo e rster continue their 

l a n d m a rk study in Corc ovado National Pa rk , 

Costa Rica. The number of collared tap i rs is 

ap p ro a ching 20, and data has been collected on 

b i o l ogy, e c o l ogy, and behav i o r. In 1999, M at hias 

To bler of Switze rland completed a study on 

h ab i t at use by Baird ’s tapir in the Costa Rican 

p á ramo. Also in 1999, Kevin Flesher re t u rn e d 

to nort h e a s t e rn Honduras to update findings on 

human colonization and the tapir populat i o n 

after a space of five ye a rs. A detailed rep o rt 

with maps was published in Tapir Conservation 

in March , 2 0 0 0 . 

Mountain tap i rs (Tap i rus pinch a q u e) have 

i n c re a s i n g ly been studied in seve ral parts of 

their ra n ge over the past few ye a rs. In Colomb 

i a , Jaime Cavelier and Diego J. Lizcano of the 

U n ive rsidad de los Andes in Bogo t a , h ave res 

e a rched basic aspects of biology and ecology 

of the mountain tap i r, and have developed cons 

e rvation strat egies. Th ey have estimated popu 

l ation density and hab i t at ava i l ability in 

C o l o m b i a ’s Central A n d e s ,and found the density 

in that area to be one individual for each 

551 +/-85 hectares. A c t ivity pat t e rns showe d 

t wo daily peaks of activ i t y, one in early morning 

(5:00-8:00 h) and the other in the aftern o o n 

(16:00-19:00 h), with an activity decrease at 

midnight and noon. Th ey also studied diet, s a l t 

l i ck use, h ab i t at use, uses by local commu n it 

i e s , and current distri bu t i o n . 

Th ree species of tapir and at least one subspecies 

of lowland tapir still exist in Colombia. 

A distri bution study of Baird ’s tapir and of the 

few known relict populations of Tap i rus terre 

s t ris colombianu s h ave been undert a ken in 

Colombia by Emilio Constantino. Exact distribution 

is still unknow n , and the constant stat e s 

of wa r, i l l egal drug operat i o n s , and pove rt y, 

m a ke re s e a rch difficult. Constantino is searching 

for current evidence of T. pinch a q u e in the 

We s t e rn Cord i l l e ra , wh e re it wa s , based on a 

fo o t p ri n t , rep o rted by Craig Downer twe n t y 

ye a rs ago. Baird ’s tapir is still found in Kat í o s 

N ational Pa rk in nort h e rn Colombia, but may 

not extend further south, as earlier rep o rts may 

98 Species 

be inaccurat e. Private re s e rves offer hope of 

aiding tapir conservation in Colombia, but tap i r 

p o p u l ations must be identified furt h e r. 

In nort h e rn Ecuador, C raig Downer purs u e s 

a tra n s l o c ation project wh i ch he rep o rts will res 

t o re the species to an area wh e re it had been 

ex t e rm i n ated by hunters. Educational effo rts in 

Ecuador have resulted in increased concern fo r 

this species and the decl a ration of ex p a n d e d 

cloud fo rest and paramo sanctuaries in va ri o u s 

p a rts of the nation. As human populations 

ex p a n d, even these protected areas are incre a si 

n g ly jeopard i ze d. Programs aimed at establishing 

sustainable lifestyles are being 

conducted both by Craig Downer and Ruben 

N u ñ e z . 

In Ve n e z u e l a ,the Merida Zoo and A n d i genA 

are cooperating to conduct the fi rst pragm 

atic steps for conservation of lowland tap i rs 

(Tap i rus terre s t ri s) in Venezuela. The pro j e c t 

will include a public education program at the 

M e rida Zoo with a pair of lowland tap i rs as the 

focal exhibit. Here nat ive planting has been res 

t o red to a large encl o s u re with a lake fo rm e d 

f rom a nat u ral rive r. Education will target thousands 

of visitors , and national and regi o n a l 

studbooks are planned. Denis To rres rep o rt s 

t h at extensions of hab i t at in the south of 

Venezuela suggest that viable wild populat i o n s 

m ay still exist there, the species has large ly 

vanished north of the Orinoco Rive r, wh e re 

p o a ching and hab i t at destruction continu e. 

Patrícia Medici continues her study of 

Tap i rus terre s t ris in the Pontal do Pa ra n ap a n ema 

region of Bra z i l ,one of Conservation Intern 

at i o n a l ’s designated global hotspots. She has 

c o l l a red eight animals, and studies how they 

use corri d o rs in fo rest fragments. This study 

should ge n e rate data not only for this, but also 

for other fragmented tapir populat i o n s . 

Although data is grow i n g, home ra n ge s 

h ave not been defi n i t ive ly established for any 

t apir species. Guido Ayala has ra d i o - c o l l a re d 

five lowland tap i rs in the Bolivian Chaco (Izozog) 

to inve s t i gate their use of are a , d a i ly and 

m o n t h ly activ i t i e s ,h ab i t at use, and abu n d a n c e. 

D ata shows most activity during night hours . 

P re l i m i n a ry results give one tap i r ’s home ra n ge 

as 250 hectares. Aya l a ’s wo rk as well as Medi 

c i ’s (T. terre s t ri s) and Dow n e r ’s (T. pinch a q u e) 

has shown ove rl ap between individuals.

E u ropean Taxon A dv i s o ry Gro u p 

for Tap i rs and Hippos 

In Sep t e m b e r, 1 9 9 9 , the third meeting of the 

E u ropean Taxon A dv i s o ry Group for Tap i rs 

and Hippos was held in Basle Switze rl a n d. It 

was well at t e n d e d, d e m o n s t rating the high 

l evel of interest in both tap i rs and hippos. 

Th e re is an EEP for the Asian tapir and a European 

studbook for the lowland tap i r. Th e 

B a i rd ’s tapir population consists of five individuals 

at Wu p p e rtal Zoo in Germ a ny, and is 

c o o rd i n ated through the North A m e rican TAG. 

H e l mut Mag d e f rau of Nure m bu rg Zoo in Germ 

a ny is the EEP coord i n ator for the A s i a n 

t ap i r. All of the animals are now in bre e d i n g 

s i t u at i o n s ,and at least three births we re re c o rded 

for 1999 as of Sep t e m b e r. This EEP has 19 

p a rt i c i p a n t s , i n cluding one in South A f ri c a , 

with a population of 43 (20.23) individuals at 

the beginning of 1999. Nure m bu rg Zoo is planning 

a ve t e ri n a ry survey for this species, a n d 

the European studbook is being tra n s fe rred to 

S PA R K S. Research is needed to ascertain why 

i n fant mortality remains high for T. indicus i n 

c ap t iv i t y. Th ree tapir species are curre n t ly kep t 

in Euro p e, the last mountain tapir in Euro p e 

h aving died in 1997. The fi rst lowland tap i r 

studbook was published in 1999 by Fra n ck 

H a e l ewijn and Aude Desmoulins from Lille 

Zoo in Fra n c e. A space survey is being take n 

and a regional collection plan for the A s i a n 

t apir in Europe will be deve l o p e d. Bengt Holst, 

Vice Director of the Copenhagen Zoo, will become 

the new European TAG Chair, as Siân 

Wat e rs re t u rns to field wo rk. 

F u rther New s 

S t u dying selected collections in Europe and 

the United Stat e s , S t e fan Seitz of Germ a ny is 

d eveloping the fi rst tapir ethograms. As an adjunct 

to this study, he has observed and polled 

zoo visitors to determine the extent to wh i ch 

t ap i rs are re c og n i ze d. The result shows cl e a rly 

t h at enhanced effo rt must be put into educat 

i o n , b eginning with ve ry basic concepts such 

as re c ognition of the animal and its name 

( “ t ap i r ” ) . 

R i ck Baro n gi has updated the North A m e rican 

Tapir TAG ’s “ M i n i mum Husbandry Stand 

a rd s : Tap i ridae (tap i rs ) ,” enhancing seve ra l 

s e c t i o n s ,i n cluding those on crate training and 

t ra n s p o rt ation. The document will be publ i s h e d 

in the Fall issue of Tapir Conservat i o n fo r 

wider distri bu t i o n . 

The Tapir Pre s e rvation Fund, e s t ablished in 

C o l o ra d o , U S A , in 1996, c o n t i nues to grow, 

h aving doubled its Club Tapir progra m 

( f u n d raising by public donation for tapir fi e l d 

p rojects) between 1998 and 1999. The Tap i r 

P re s e rvation Fund hosts T S G ’s web site along 

with its own site, The Tapir Gallery. The Tap i r 

G a l l e ry, an educational re s o u rc e, c u rre n t ly 

d raws over 1,000 visitors per we e k . 

A recent project of the Tapir Specialist 

G roup is an attempt to cl a rify current and hist 

o rical ra n ges for all four species. Inve s t i gat i o n 

is underway to sep a rate fact from early guesses 

and faulty or misrep resented data. Erroneous 

info rm ation has been printed and 

rep rinted in nu m e rous publ i c ations thro u g h o u t 

past decades. 

E a rly in 2000, Patrícia Medici was proposed 

as the Tapir Specialist Gro u p ’s new 

C h a i r. We expect confi rm ation to take place in 

O c t o b e r. Sharon Matola re t i res after ten ye a rs ’ 

s e rv i c e, and will devote full time to conservation 

goals in Belize. 

S h a ron Mat o l a , C h a i r 

S h e ryl To dd, D eputy Chair 

Patrícia Medici, M e m b e r 

To dd e-mail: t ap i r @ t ap i r b a ck . c o m 

Species 99

Th re atened Wat e r fowl Specialist Group (WI/SSC) 

The Th re atened Wat e r fowl Specialist Gro u p 

was fo rmed in 1990 as part of the specialist 

group netwo rk of Wetlands Intern ational and 

IUCN-SSC. The gro u p , with 740 members in 

115 countries wo rl dw i d e, aims to identify and 

monitor the status of globally thre atened A n at idae 

taxa, to fa c i l i t ate the production and imp 

l e m e n t ation of action plans, and to fa c i l i t at e, 

conduct and ex ch a n ge info rm ation ab o u t 

t h re atened wat e r fowl conservation pro j e c t s . 

In 1997, the TWSG produced a fi rst draft of 

the IUCN-SSC A n s e ri fo rmes Action Plan 

(funded by W W T, Wetlands Intern ational and 

IUCN). This plan, due for completion in 2000, 

i n cludes a thorough revision of population est 

i m at e s , t rends and status of all A n s e ri fo rm e s , 

then concentrates on the means to ensure the 

s u rv ival of the most thre atened species. In 

o rder to maximise the chances of implementat 

i o n , p ri o rity projects for the conservation of 

t h re atened species are identifi e d, d e s c ribed and 

c o s t e d. In 1998, a pilot study for another global 

conservation initiat ive was conducted—to 

assess the level of protection curre n t ly affo rded 

to thre atened wat e r b i rds by Ramsar sites 

( ve ry low ) , to identify candidate sites important 

for thre atened species wh i ch should be 

d e s i g n at e d, and to lobby for more designat i o n 

of such shadow sites. A funding bid for the 

p roject will be prep a red in 2000. 

O ver the past three ye a rs , mu ch of the single 

species wo rk of the TWSG has focussed on 

conducting and securing funding for conservation 

projects for three key species: the Wh i t e - 

headed Duck , Wh i t e - w i n ged Duck and Marbled 

Teal. The White-headed Duck wo rk has 

focussed on add ressing the major thre at to the 

White-headed Duck — hy b ri d i z ation with the 

i n t roduced North A m e rican Ruddy Duck in 

E u ro p e. A dvice has been provided to the UK 

G ove rnment on regional trials of control methods 

for Ruddy Duck s , and a European Ruddy 

D u ck era d i c ation strat egy was produced for the 

Council of Euro p e. A re s e a rch project to model 

the spread of Ruddy Ducks in Europe and the 

i n t rogression of Ruddy Duck genes into the 

White-headed Duck gene pool under diffe re n t 

100 Species 

E u ropean Ruddy Duck control scenarios bega n 

in 1999. Experiments to establish the viab i l i t y 

and fe rtility of off s p ring from Ruddy Ducks x 

White-headed Ducks crosses continued at 

WWT Slimbri d ge and a genetic study of the 

o ri gin of Ruddy Ducks in Spain is due to begi n 

in 2000. Surveys of White-headed Ducks we re 

conducted in Kazakhstan (thre e ) , A ze r b a i j a n 

( t wo ) , G e o rgia (three) and Tu rkey. T W S G 

m e m b e rs have conducted additional survey 

and re s e a rch wo rk on White-headed Ducks in 

B u l ga ri a , G re e c e, I ra n , R o m a n i a , R u s s i a , 

Tu rkey, and Uzbekistan. In March 2000, a 

wo rkshop on the conservation of Wh i t e - h e a ded 

Duck in the Black Sea region and Asia wa s 

held in Greece with the help of the Hellenic 

O rn i t h o l ogical Society. 

An ongoing programme of Wh i t e - w i n ge d 

D u ck conservation by Wetlands Intern at i o nal—Indonesia 

has been supported with funding 

secured for surveys in three areas of 

S u m at ra , for an ecological re s e a rch project in 

Way Kambas National Pa rk , and for the production 

of educational mat e rial. Extensive ecol 

ogical re s e a rch on Marbled Teal has been 

conducted in Spain and Moro c c o , with fi n a ncial 

support from Spanish regional gove rnments 

and the European Commission. Survey s 

of Marbled Te a l , Fe rru ginous Duck and other 

t h re atened wat e r b i rds we re conducted in Moro 

c c o ,Tu n i s i a , Uzbekistan and other areas. 

The TWSG has also conducted a survey of 

West Indian Whistling Ducks in the UK Dependent 

Te rri t o ry of Tu rks and Caicos and 

helped fa c i l i t ate a conservation wo rkshop fo r 

B razilian Merga n s e rs in Brazil in Sep t e m b e r 

2 0 0 0 . 

Baz Hughes, C h a i r 

Fa x : 44 (0)1453 891901. 

E - m a i l :b a z . h u g h e s @ w w t . o rg. u k 

Web site: h t t p : / / w w w. gre e n ch a n n e l . c o m / 

w w t / t h re at s p / t w s g. h t m 

The Secre t a ri at of the TWSG is funded by The Wi l d fow l 

& Wetlands Tru s t .

Wader Specialist Group (WI/SSC) 

The Wader Study Group (WSG) is an indep 

e n d e n t ,l ega l ly constituted body, regi s t e red in 

the Netherlands. Its constitutional objective s 

a re to: 

1 . i n t e rn at i o n a l ly pro m o t e, e n c o u rage and coo 

rd i n ate studies on wa d e rs or shoreb i rd s 

(C h a ra d ri i) and fa c t o rs affecting them; and 

2 . i n t e rn at i o n a l ly enhance the ex ch a n ge of info 

rm ation and ex p e rience re l ating to wa d e rs 

or shoreb i rds (C h a ra d ri i) and fa c t o rs affe c ting 

them.” 

The WSG is an intern ational association of amat 

e u rs and pro fessionals from all parts of the 

wo rld interested in wa d e rs or shoreb i rds. It is a 

m e m b e rship-based society, funded by annu a l 

fees paid by its members. WSG acts in the capacity 

of a Wetlands Intern ational and SSC 

Specialist Group according to a Memora n d u m 

of A greement signed with IWRB in 1993. Th e 

i n t e rests of the group have dive rs i fied from its 

o ri ginal focus on ri n ging and migrat i o n - re l at e d 

studies to now embrace all aspects of wader bio 

l ogy and conservat i o n . 

The aims of the WSG are to: 

• maintain contact between both amat e u rs 

and pro fessionals studying wa d e rs ; 

• help organise intern ational co-operat ive 

studies; and 

• p rovide a ve h i cle for ex ch a n ge of info rm ation 

on wa d e rs and their biology. 

The main means of ach i eving these aims are 

t h ro u g h : 

• holding an annual confe rence (usually attended 

by about 150 members ) ; 

• p u bl i s h i n g, t h ree times a ye a r, the c. 80 page 

Wader Study Group Bulletin, 

• p u blishing an occasional seri e s ,I n t e rn at i o nal 

Wader Studies, e a ch volume cove ring a 

major topic of wader biology or conservation; 

• o rganising co-operat ive intern ational res 

e a rch projects; and 

• acting as the Wetlands Intern ational and 

IUCN-SSC Wader Specialist Gro u p . 

The WSG is managed by a 16 person Exe c ut 

ive Committee wh i ch meets twice a ye a r. Offi 

c e rs and others invo l ved in the Gro u p ’s 

a c t ivities act in an entire ly vo l u n t a ry cap a c i t y. 

M e m b e rship is curre n t ly c. 650, of wh i ch most 

( about 80%) are in A f ri c a ,M i ddle East and Euro 

p e. Close links with regional wader or shoreb 

i rd study groups in the A m e rica and 

Au s t ralasia are maintained and active ly deve lo 

p e d. A membership ex p e rtise list is curre n t ly 

being deve l o p e d. Initially this is focussing on 

d eveloping a netwo rk of those with ex p e rt i s e 

on particular species in the A f ri c a n - E u ra s i a n 

R egion (and part i c u l a rly the wa d e rs of the East 

Atlantic Fly way) to assist with revision of int 

e rn ational population estimates of the East A tlantic 

Fly way, as well as drafting of species 

accounts the atlas of the wa d e rs of the A f ri c a n - 

E u rasian Region (below). 

Highlights of Group A c t ivity in the 

Last Th ree Ye a rs 

A n nual confe rences we re held in Fra n c e 

( 1 9 9 9 ) , H u n ga ry (1998) and Denmark (1997). 

These confe rences we re fo l l owed by tech n i c a l 

wo rkshops bri n ging together specialists and 

o t h e rs to rev i ew a particular subject area. Often 

results from technical wo rkshops lead to vo lumes 

in the Intern ational Wader Studies seri e s . 

Recent wo rkshops have included discussions 

of co-ord i n ation of current re s e a rch and survey 

re l ating to the globally endange red Slenderbilled 

C u rl ew Numenius tenu i ro s t ri s ( 1 9 9 7 ) ; 

planning the WSG project Breeding wa d e rs in 

E u rope 2000 and rev i ewing current data and 

i n fo rm ation on European breeding wader popu 

l ations (1997); revising intern ational wa d e r 

p o p u l ation estimates for the We s t e rn Pa l e a rc t i c 

(1998); and rev i ewing the conservation and 

p o p u l ation dynamics of Avocet R e c u rv i ro s t ra 

avo s e t t a (1999). 

A special WSG meeting was held in Cap e 

Tow n , South A f ri c a , in 1998, with a tech n i c a l 

wo rkshop on Curl ew Sandpiper C a l i d ris fe r- 

Species 101

u gi n e a ( p roceedings of wh i ch are curre n t ly 

being prep a red for IWS publ i c at i o n ) . 

O rga n i s ation of the WSG Intern ational Ruff 

Census project 1997/98 wh i ch obtained simu ltaneous 

counts on key Ruff P h i l o m a chus pugn 

a x s t aging areas in Europe through the spri n g 

m i gration period (Feb ru a ry - M ay) in 1997 and 

1998 (WSG Bulletin 82: 8-9; 84: 23-25; 88: 

4 3 - 4 8 ) . 

The launch of WSG pro j e c t — B re e d i n g 

Wa d e rs in Europe 2000 (WSG Bulletin 82: 1 0 - 

11) with the fo l l owing objective s : (a) to rev i s e 

p revious intern ational population estimates of 

b reeding wa d e rs; (b) wh e re possible to establish 

population trends—both within and acro s s 

c o u n t ries; (c) and for any species with espec 

i a l ly good dat a , to monitor population densities 

and trends in diffe rent hab i t ats. The pro j e c t 

is phased, with the fi rst year establishing an orga 

n i s ational stru c t u re with a netwo rk of national 

co-ord i n at o rs cove ring most of Euro p e. 

The fi rst phase (1997-98) updated Euro p e a n 

b reeding wader population estimates with best 

ava i l able dat a . 

The launch of WSG Project “Tri n ga glareola 

2 0 0 0 ” to study spring and autumn migration 

of Wood Sandpipers through Euro p e 

(WSG Bulletin 84: 21-22). The initiation of 

WSG/Goose Research Group A rctic Bre e d i n g 

Conditions Survey and Dat abase at Moscow 

Museum with the production of dat ab a s e, web - 

site and new s l e t t e r. The orga n i s ation of joint 

W S G / W I WO expedition to Banc d’Arguin in 

M a u ritania in spring 1997 to census the huge 

n o n - b reeding concentrations of wat e r fowl in 

this key fly way wetland (WSG Bulletin 86: 5 3 - 

6 9 ,70-73). The continued WSG support for the 

i n i t i at ive Migration of Red Knots C a l i d ri s 

c a nu t u s in South A m e rica 1996-2000 and development 

of intern ational netwo rk of part i c ipants 

(WSG Bulletin 88: 6 4 - 7 5 ) . 

The completion phase (analysis and wri t e - 

up) of the long-running WSG Kentish Plove r 

C h a ra d rius alex a n d ri nu sP ro j e c t . 

We s t e rn Pa l e a rctic wader population estim 

ates continues with re - eva l u ation of tre n d s 

and population sizes. Begun in 1994, t e ch n i c a l 

wo rkshops we re held in 1996 and 1998, a n d 

p u bl i c ation of revised estimates is anticipat e d 

in 2000. The estimates have been input to the 

3 rd edition of Wetlands Intern at i o n a l ’s global 

Wat e r fowl Po p u l ation Estimates rep o rt com- 

102 Species 

piled on behalf of the Ramsar Convention. Th e 

e s t i m ates will result in revised 1% thre s h o l d s 

for the populations concern e d. 

The co-ord i n ation of fi e l dwo rk for European 

Non-estuarine Coastal Wat e r fowl Survey 

d u ring winter 1997/98 in 14 European count 

ries (from Iceland and Norway in the north to 

C ro atia and Tu rkey in the south). 

The continued effe c t ive operation of W S G 

C o l o u r- m a rking Register (a co-ord i n ation facility 

for those undertaking colour- m a rking of 

wa d e rs to ensure that only unique combinations 

of rings are ever used, and operation of 

i n t e rn ational cl e a ring-house for resightings of 

m a rked birds). The Register re c e ives annu a l ly 

about 350 sightings of colour- ri n ged wa d e rs 

and regi s t e rs 20-30 new schemes each ye a r. It 

holds details of 431 schemes using perm a n e n t 

m a rks (rings and fl ags); of these, 139 are curre 

n t ly active, c ove ring 34 species. Th e re are six 

t e m p o ra ry schemes curre n t ly regi s t e re d. 

It is intended to undert a ke a questionnaire 

s u rvey of the whole WSG membership in 2000 

to establish more bro a d ly the extent of ava i lable 

ex p e rtise within the Group against in a 

va riety of areas (i.e. know l e d ge of wader taxo 

n o my, e c o l ogy, c o n s e rvat i o n , b e h aviour as 

well of species or populat i o n s , or of part i c u l a r 

c o u n t ries or regions). A dat abase with this info 

rm ation will be cre ated and peri o d i c a l ly upd 

ated as an aid to the operation of W S G ’s ow n 

p rojects and servicing of requests by We t l a n d s 

I n t e rn ational and IUCN. 

The completion phase (analysis and wri t e - 

up) of the long-running WSG Inland Wa d e r 

Counts Project—a co-operat ive intern at i o n a l 

assessment of the timing and nat u re of wa d e r 

m i gration in inland Euro p e. Funding is being 

sought for publ i c ation of a summary of re s u l t s 

in Intern ational Wader Studies. 

The prep a ration and dissemination of a cons 

u l t ation draft of phase 1 of the Fly way atlas of 

wader population in A f rica and We s t e rn Eurasia. 

This phase of the atlas summarises curre n t 

k n ow l e d ge of 39 species of wa d e rs occurri n g 

in the region encompassed by the CMS 

A f ri c a n - E u rasian Wat e r b i rd A greement. Map s 

s h ow ra n ge, key sites and population delimitation 

for each species. The text summarises current 

population estimates and conservat i o n 

s t atus. Funding has re c e n t ly been obtained fo r 

d rafting texts for the remaining 49 species oc-

c u rring in the A f ri c a n - E u rasian region and it is 

a n t i c i p ated that a single volume will be published 

in 2001. 

Fi n a l ly, t h e re was the publ i c ation of thre e 

major volumes in the series Intern at i o n a l 

Wader Studies: 

1 . H i ck l i n , P. (ed.) 1996. Shoreb i rd ecology 

and conservation in the We s t e rn Hemis 

p h e re. Intern ational Wader Studies 8. 136 

pp. wh i ch contains 21 pap e rs and ex p a n d e d 

ab s t racts based on pap e rs presented at the 

IV Neotropical Orn i t h o l ogy Congress held 

in Quito, E c u a d o r. The volume brings together 

info rm ation that in many cases has 

o n ly been ava i l able locally. Info rm ation is 

p resented on field re s e a rch from both hemis 

p h e res and conducted in A l a s k a , C a l i fo rn 

i a , M i n n e s o t a , M ex i c o , Costa Rica, 

C o l o m b i a , Pe ru , B ra z i l , C h i l e, A rge n t i n a 

and Pat agonia. 

2 . R e e d, M . J. , Wa rn o ck , N. , & Ori n g, L . W. 

(eds.) 1997. Conservation and manage m e n t 

of shoreb i rds in the We s t e rn Gre at Basin of 

N o rth A m e rica. Intern ational Wader Studies 

9. 81 pp. This volume ontains 10 pap e rs derived 

from a wo rkshop in December 1994 at 

the Unive rsity of Neva d a , with the aim of 

b ri n ging together pre l i m i n a ry info rm at i o n 

on the status of shoreb i rds in the We s t e rn 

G re at Basin (USA), rev i ewing the ecological 

peculiarities of shoreb i rds in arid regi 

o n s , and presenting info rm ation re l eva n t 

to the conservation and management of 

s h o reb i rds in the region. The volume provides 

an important starting point for identifi 

c ation of the env i ronmental pro bl e m s 

facing shoreb i rds and for designing the 

types of long-term monitoring and re s e a rch 

re q u i red to maintain shoreb i rd populat i o n s 

in arid env i ro n m e n t s . 

3 . H ö t ke r, H . , L eb e d eva , E . , To m kov i ch , G rom 

a d z k a , J. , D av i d s o n , N. C . , E va n s , J. , 

S t ro u d, D.A. & We s t ,R . B. (eds.) 1998. Migration 

and intern ational conservation of 

wa d e rs : re s e a rch and conservation on nort h 

A s i a n , A f rican and European fly ways. Int 

e rn ational Wader Studies 10. 526 pp. Th i s 

is a unique compilation of long-term and 

s h o rt - t e rm studies on wa d e rs in a little 

k n own part of the wo rl d, set in an intern ational 

context by descriptions of current flyway-scale 

re s e a rch and conservat i o n 

a c t iv i t y. It contains 54 pap e rs and 22 abs 

t racts on wa d e rs in eastern Europe and 

n o rt h e rn A s i a , and a further eight on these 

species in more southerly areas. It is pre faced 

by four pap e rs and ab s t racts descri b i n g 

c u rrent intern ational wader conservation 

a c t iv i t y, i n cluding proposals for ways of developing 

a global wader fly way conservation 

strat egy. It also includes seve ral pap e rs 

d e s c ribing recent re s e a rch into the same 

species that breed in this huge area of the 

wo rl d, but from other little re s e a rched are a s 

in their southern wintering ra n ge s . 

W S G ’s aim for mu ch of the volume has 

been to re flect the gre at dive rsity of re s e a rch 

on wa d e rs in eastern Europe and nort h e rn 

Asia in the 1980s and early 1990s. Hence 

p ap e rs ra n ge from faunistic surveys in limited 

study are a s , t h rough sophisticated 

e c o l ogical analyses to brief rev i ews summ 

a rising long-term re s e a rch progra m m e s . 

O ve ra l l , the volume provides a picture of 

the nat u re of wader re s e a rch in the regi o n , 

and yields a wealth of new data for those 

s t u dying the ecology and distri bution of diffe 

rent species and populations. To assist use 

of the volume as a source-book the pap e rs 

a re divided into broad bioge ographical regi 

o n s , within wh i ch pap e rs are in west to 

east sequence, and a species index has been 

compiled to guide re a d e rs to pap e rs of potential 

interest. The main locations or regions 

cove red by each paper are shown in 

m ap s . 

We estimate that about three pers o n - ye a rs 

of vo l u n t a ry time we re expended by W S G 

e d i t o rs in bri n ging this publ i c ation to 

f ruition. The volume was launched at a high 

l evel seminar convened by the Dutch gove 

rnment in Kiev in September 1998 and attended 

by the Ukrainian Minister of the 

E nv i ro n m e n t . 

D avid A. Stro u d, W S G - Wetlands 

I n t e rn ational Liaison Offi c e r 

Species 103

West Indian Iguana Specialist Gro u p 

O ffi c i a l ly orga n i zed in 1997, the West Indian 

Iguana Specialist Group (WIISG) has grown to 

i n clude 61 members from 19 countries. To fac 

i l i t ate commu n i c ation among group memb 

e rs , we have established a new s l e t t e r, 

p u blished biannu a l ly by the San Diego Zoo’s 

Center for Rep roduction of Endange re d 

Species. The newsletter serves to update gro u p 

m e m b e rs and other interested parties on current 

and planned activities of the gro u p , as we l l 

as to provide a fo rum for discussion of issues 

re l evant to the conservation of West Indian 

iguanas. We have also developed a web s i t e 

( h t t p : / / w w w. s c z . o rg/iguana) and implemented 

a listserve. A n nual meetings have been held 

e a ch year since the gro u p ’s inception (1996— 

M i a m i , F l o rida; 1997—Seat t l e, Wa s h i n g t o n ; 

1 9 9 8 — Yu l e e, F l o rida; 1999—Boquero n , 

P u e rto Rico), and are scheduled for 2000 (San 

S a l va d o r, Bahamas) and 2001 (Santo Domingo 

, Dominican Rep u blic). 


Our Action Plan is complete and will be published 

in early 2000. Major activities for the 

WIISG in the next triennium will focus on imp 

l e m e n t ation of the critical conservation activities 

outlined in the plan. The WIISG curre n t ly 

has members active ly wo rking on each of the 

subspecies of West Indian iguanas. Taxa fo r 

wh i ch the WIISG has provided ex t e n s ive logistical 

support over the last three ye a rs incl u d e 

the cri t i c a l ly endange red Jamaican and A n egada 

iguanas. Effo rts have included constru c t i o n 

and maintenance of headstarting facilities fo r 

j u venile iguanas, as well as training of local 

s t a ff. A total of 26 headstarted iguanas, 

equipped with ra d i o t ra n s m i t t e rs for long-term 

m o n i t o ri n g, h ave now been rep at ri ated into the 

H e l l s h i re Hills region of Jamaica. In 1997, t h e 

WIISG signed a Memorandum of Unders t a n ding 

with the British Vi rgin Islands Nat i o n a l 

Pa rks Trust to fa c i l i t ate cooperation in the development 

and implementation of critical cons 

e rvation measures on behalf of the A n ega d a 

iguana. A similar MOU is curre n t ly under con- 

104 Species 

s i d e ration for the Tu rks & Caicos iguana. 

In 1998, the WIISG re c e ived a grant fro m 

the Chicago Zoological Society to era d i c at e 

bl a ck rats from White Cay in the Bahamas, t h e 

sole locality for the cri t i c a l ly endange re d 

White Cay iguana. The project was successfully 

carried out in part n e rship with the Bahamas 

M i n i s t ry of A gri c u l t u re and Fi s h e ri e s ,the Bahamas 

Dep a rtment of Env i ronmental Health, 

the Bahamas National Tru s t , Fauna and Flora 

I n t e rn at i o n a l , Loma Linda Unive rs i t y, a n d 

Zeneca A gro chemicals. In addition to pro m o ting 

re c ove ry of the iguana populat i o n , t h i s 

p roject has helped raise public awa reness of 

the benefits of ecological re s t o ration of other 

c ays in the Bahamas, for iguanas as well as 

other nat ive wildlife. 

The WIISG continues to active ly pursue ave 

nues for funding the pri o rity projects outlined 

in our conservation action plan. To dat e, we 

h ave raised significant funds through sales of a 

T- s h i rt promoting the group and an educat i o nal 

poster fe at u ring color photos of iguanas sup 

e rimposed on a map of the Cari bbean. Th i s 

poster has also been distri buted gratis in seve ral 

ra n ge countri e s , i n cluding A n g u i l l a ,the Bah 

a m a s , the British Vi rgin Islands, the Cay m a n 

I s l a n d s , the Dominican Rep u bl i c, Ja m a i c a , 

P u e rto Rico, and the Tu rks & Caicos Islands. 

D o n ations we re obtained from seve ral zoos to 

s u p p o rt publ i c ation of our action plan; as 

IUCN has now agreed to undert a ke these costs, 

the funds have been re d i rected towa rd conservation 

activities. We have also been successful 

in obtaining and/or fa c i l i t ating ex t ra mu ra l 

grant funding to cover re s e a rch , c o n s e rvat i o n , 

and education projects in Ja m a i c a , the Bah 

a m a s , and the British Vi rgin Islands. 

In 1998, the WIISG obtained a bl a n ke t 

CITES permit from the U. S. Fish & Wi l d l i fe 

S e rvice wh i ch , in conjunction with indiv i d u a l 

ex p o rt permits from CITES management aut 

h o rities of ex p o rting countri e s , a l l ows mu l t iple 

import ations of biological samples fro m 

both cap t ive and wild individuals of all species 

of West Indian iguanas for re s e a rch purp o s e s .

This permit has gre at ly fa c i l i t ated genetic studi 

e s , as well as health screening of headstart e d 

j u veniles. The permit was used by nine inve s t igat 

o rs in 1998 to import 346 samples fro m 

eight species. Renewed in 1999, the permit fac 

i l i t ated import ation of an additional 260 samples 

from seven species. 

In 1999, s eve ral rep re s e n t at ives from the 

WIISG attended the SSC herp reveiw wo rkshop 

“ S t rengthening IUCN’s Contri bution to 

the Conservation of Reptiles and A m p h i b i a n s ” 

in Wa s h i n g t o n ,D.C. Our gro u p ’s input was essential 

in deb ating and developing the re c o mm 

e n d ation that the WIISG expand its mandat e 

to an Iguana Specialist Group in order to provide 

cove rage for seve ral key taxa curre n t ly 

outside the netwo rk. As such , we will cover not 

o n ly the iguanid ge n e ra found in the West Indies 

(C y cl u ra and I g u a n a) , but also the other 

l a rge, h e r b ivo rous iguanids, i n cluding the Fi j i 

Island iguanas (B ra chy l o p h u s) , the spiny - t a i l e d 

iguanas (C t e n o s a u ra) , the Galap agos mari n e 

(A m bly r hy n ch u s) and land (C o n o l o p h u s) iguan 

a s , the desert iguanas (D i p s o s a u ru s) , and the 

ch u ck wallas (S a u ro m a l u s). The major benefi t 

to broadening our mandate will be the inc 

reased cove rage provided for taxa in need of 

c o n s e rvation at t e n t i o n , p a rt i c u l a rly the spiny - 

tailed iguanas of Mexico and Central A m e ri c a . 

S i g n i ficant interest in the expansion has alre 

a dy been ge n e rated among conservation bio 

l ogists curre n t ly wo rking with these taxa. Th e 

SSC Exe c u t ive Committee has ap p roved the 

ex p a n s i o n ,wh i ch will occur gra d u a l ly over the 

n ext seve ral ye a rs. 

The WIISG provided input into the most rec 

e n t ly published IUCN Red List for all species 

and subspecies of West Indian iguanas, a n d 

c o n t i nues to provide updates to electronic ve rsion 

of the list. With the expansion of our 

group into an Iguana Specialist Gro u p , we will 

be undertaking the task of providing Red List 

assessments for the additional taxa under our 

n ew mandat e. 

F u t u re Goals 

Of the W I I S G ’s 62 members , 38% are based in 

the Cari bb e a n , 51% are based in the United 

S t at e s , and 11% are based in Euro p e. Duri n g 

the course of the next tri e n n i u m , we hope to 

s i g n i fi c a n t ly increase regional part i c i p ation in 

the gro u p , p a rt i c u l a rly from the Lesser A ntilles. 

In terms of affi l i at i o n s ,35% of the gro u p 

rep resent zo o s / mu s e u m s , 21% rep resent unive 

rs i t i e s ,18% rep resent gove rnment age n c i e s , 

and 26% rep resent NGOs. We also hope to inc 

rease gove rnment part i c i p ation in the next trie 

n n i u m , i d e a l ly with at least one gove rn m e n t 

rep re s e n t at ive from each ra n ge country in 

wh i ch iguanas occur. 

B eginning this ye a r, the WIISG is deve l o ping 

a photo arch ive to serve as a fund-ra i s i n g 

and educational tool. With grant funding fro m 

the Chicago Zoological Society, we are cre ating 

an iguana photo arch ive consisting of 48 of 

the gro u p ’s highest quality image s , t h ree fro m 

e a ch of the 16 extant taxa of West Indian iguanas. 

The images will be showcased in an Iguana 

Gallery on our web s i t e, and marke t e d 

d i re c t ly through nat u ra l - h i s t o ry oriented magazines 

and other publ i c ations. A dd i t i o n a l ly, t h e 

a rch ive will provide an inva l u able tool fo r 

m e m b e rs of the group to use when pro m o t i n g 

our iguana conservation activities to outside orga 

n i z ations. It is hoped that this project can 

s e rve as a va l u able model for other specialist 

groups within the netwo rk , helping to incre a s e 

their capacity to operate self-suffi c i e n t ly. 

An important goal of the WIISG for the 

n ext triennium is to increase our invo l ve m e n t 

in the production and dissemination of educational 

mat e rials in the ra n ge countries wh e re 

iguanas occur. The WIISG is curre n t ly a partner 

on a pending grant that will support ex t e ns 

ive env i ronmental education on A n ega d a 

I s l a n d, with a focus on iguanas. This progra m , 

wh i ch strives to incorp o rate info rm ation on 

A n egada iguanas into the fo rmal educat i o n 

c u rriculum as well as re a ching local commu n ities 

and visitors , s e rves as an example of wh at 

we hope to ultimat e ly accomplish for all iguanas 

under the gro u p ’s mandat e. 

Allison A l b e rts and Sandra Buck n e r, 

C o - ch a i rs 

E - m a i l :a a l b e rt s @ s a n d i ego zo o . o rg 

s bu ck n e r @ b a h a m a s . n e t . b s 

Species 105

Wolf Specialist Gro u p 

The WSG met once during the tri e n n i u m , i n 

Feb ru a ry, 2000 in Duluth, M i n n e s o t a ,USA as 

p a rt of an Intern ational Wolf Symposium. 

Nineteen members rep resenting 17 countri e s 

at t e n d e d, and eight we re unable to at t e n d. 

E a ch rep re s e n t at ive presented a rep o rt on 

the status of the wolf population and of wo l f 

m a n agement in his country. The rep o rts we re 

a s s e m bled into a document to be presented by 

L u i gi Boitani to the Large Carn ivo re Initiat ivefor 

Euro p e. 

The group also fi n a l i zed its second updat i n g 

of its “ M a n i festo on Wolf Conservat i o n ,” a 

document spelling out the Wolf Specialist 

G ro u p ’s operating assumptions about its miss 

i o n , p rep a red at its orga n i z ational meeting on 

in 1973. The updated manifesto has been submitted 

to IUCN for final ap p rova l . 

106 Species 

The third result of the meeting was ap p rova l 

of a resolution to be sent to the ap p ro p ri at e 

gove rnment agencies of Fra n c e, I t a ly, a n d 

S w i t ze rland urging them to consider the entire 

wolf metap o p u l ation of the Alps when planning 

wolf manage m e n t . 

A dditional actions and discussions incl u d e d 

ap p roval of two resolutions concerning Mex ican 

wolf re i n t roduction to the southern Rocky 

Mountains of the U. S.; pre s e n t ation of new 

methods of live - t rapping wo l ves for re s e a rch ; 

discussion of ch a n ges in IUCN’s process of 

“ re d l i s t i n g ”species; and discussion of how to 

i n c rease public acceptance of wo l ve s . 

D ave Mech , C h a i r

A rabian Plant Specialist Gro u p 

The APSG was fo rmed short ly befo re the 

M o n t real Wo rld Conservation Congress in 

1996. The 1996-2000 triennium is there fo re 

the fi rst full term of this specialist group. 

D u ring this triennium the APSG had many 

meetings of its Secre t a ri at , t wo Exe c u t ive 

Committee meetings and one full meeting of 

its members. 

The Group met in A bu Dhabi in May 2000, 

under the pat ro n age of HH Sheikh Hamdan 

Bin Zayed Al Nay h a n , Minister of State fo r 

Fo reign A ffa i rs and Deputy Chairman of the 

E nv i ronmental Research and Wi l d l i fe Deve lopment 

A ge n cy (ERW DA ) , A bu Dhabi. Th e 

meeting was jointly organised by ERW DA and 

the National Commission for Wi l d l i fe Conservation 

and Development (NCWCD), S a u d i 

A rabia. Plant scientists and conservat i o n i s t s 

f rom Jo rd a n , Ku wa i t , Q at a r, Saudi A rab i a , 

Sinai (Egy p t ) ,S y ri a , UAE and Yemen at t e n d e d 

the two - d ay meeting. Bahrain and Oman we re 

u n able to send participants. 

Ap a rt from part i c i p ation by botanists fro m 

the regi o n , p ap e rs we re also presented by 

D avid Give n , Chair of the Plant Conservat i o n 

C o m m i t t e e, We n dy Stra h m , IUCN Plants Offic 

e r, A n t h o ny Miller from the Royal Botanical 

G a rden Edinbu rg h ,and Peter Wyse Ja ckson of 

Botanic Gardens Conservation Intern ational. 

D u ring the two days of the meeting there 

was a wo rkshop dealing with “ The economic 

aspects of plants conservation in the A rab i a n 

Pe n i n s u l a ” and an exe c u t ive committee meeting 

and a plenary session to discuss A P S G 

business. The Exe c u t ive Committee ap p o i n t e d 

t h ree wo rking groups to prep a re rep o rts that 

would fa c i l i t ate the fo rmu l ation of a strat egy 

for the 2000-2003 triennium. The fi rst assessed 

the present strat egy; the second re - eva l u at e d 

the need for an A rabian plants dat abase and the 

t h i rd considered regional funding possibilities. 

Wo rkshop on the Economic A s p e c t s 

of Plants Conservation in the 

A rabian Pe n i n s u l a 

The wo rkshop was divided into three sessions: 

1 . Session I dealt with the present status of 

plant conservation in the A rabian Pe n i n s u l a . 

D u ring this session the delegates discussed 

the status of plants in their re s p e c t ive count 

ries and the region at large. 

2 . Session II dealt with the economic potential 

of wild plants, and 

3 . Session III with sustainable use of fl o ri s t i c 

plant re s o u rces. 

The wo rkshop re a ched the fo l l owing concl usions 

and re c o m m e n d at i o n s : 

• The plants of the A rabian Region are not ye t 

re c e iving enough at t e n t i o n ; 

• Th at certain conservation measures could 

o n ly be implemented by taking into conside 

ration the socio-economic fa c t o rs unique 

to the regi o n . 

• N at ive species are part i c u l a rly import a n t 

because they have adapted to the local env iro 

n m e n t ; 

• These plants have economic va l u e, p rov i ding 

fo o d, medicines and genetic re s o u rc e s ; 

• Th e re is loss of indigenous know l e d ge 

about nat ive plants and traditional land 

m a n agement systems. Member countri e s 

a re urged to collect and pre s e rve this info rm 

ation as a matter of urge n cy, 

• Intellectual pro p e rty rights and the ge n e t i c 

re s o u rces of A rabian plants must be prot 

e c t e d. 

Species 107

APSG Business Meeting 

The main part of the meeting dealt with A P S G 

business. This was fa c i l i t ated by the at t e n d a n c e 

of the Chair of the SSC Plant Conservat i o n 

Committee and the Plants Officer of IUCN. 

The meeting rev i ewed the APSG strat egy in 

light of the ach i evements during the present triennium. 

The Strat egy for 1996-2000 had ident 

i fied three projects as being important to the 

plant conservation programme of the regi o n . 

1 . P u bl i c ation of a Flora of the regi o n ; 

2 . D evelopment of an A rabian Plant Dat ab a s e ; 

3 . Identify endange red and ra re plants of the 

region and publish the Plant Red Dat a 

B o o k . 

The lack of funds was identified as the main 

o b s t a cle faced by the APSG during the tri e n n ium. 

Pa rticipants concluded that although some 

p rogress has been ach i eved the strat egy has not 

been fully implemented because the pro j e c t s 

we re over ambitious and bu d gets we re therefo 

re too large for the projects to be deve l o p e d 

as pro p o s e d. 

R e c ognising that the indigenous fl o ra is 

a d apted to local conditions, has fo o d, m e d i c inal 

and intrinsic value but that indige n o u s 

k n ow l e d ge, intellectual pro p e rty rights and genetic 

mat e rial of nat ive plants is being lost, 

m e m b e rs made a number of re c o m m e n d at i o n s 

for activities during the next triennium (2001- 

2004). These are listed below. 

S t rat egy for the 2000–2003 

Tri e n n i u m 

1 . The fo l l owing committees we re constituted 

to advise the Exe c u t ive Committee: F u n d 

Raising; A rabian Plant Dat abase; Seed and 

Gene Banks; and a Botanical Gardens Liaison 

Gro u p . 

2 . All three of the projects from the prev i o u s 

t ri e n n i u m ,i . e. , 

• P u bl i c ation of a Flora of the regi o n ; 

• D evelopment of an A rabian Plant Dat ab 

a s e ; 

108 Species 

• Identifying endange red and ra re plants 

of the region and publishing the Plant 

Red Data Book should be retained and 

re d e fi n e d. 

2.1 Budgets for these projects should be 

s t reamlined and made more affo rd abl e 

( by, for instance, d ividing the pro j e c t s 

into phases). 

2.2 The marke t ability and justifi c at i o n 

should be made more at t ra c t ive in ord e r 

to make it easier to convince possibl e 

s p o n s o rs of the feasibility of the pro j e c t s . 

2.3 Project proposals need to be tra n sl 

ated into A rabic and bro ch u res prep 

a re d, in both English and A rab i c, t o 

m a ke the projects more at t ra c t ive. 

3 . C o u n t ries should take all possible measure s 

to conserve the fl o ra of the region and halt 

its ex t i n c t i o n . 

4 . From the country rep o rt s ,it is ap p a rent that 

the wo rk being done is insufficient to cons 

e rve the fl o ra. Member countries should 

m a ke more effo rts thro u g h : 

• E n c o u raging countries to implement 

p rojects such as botanical ga rd e n s , s e e d 

banks and park s , for ex situ c o n s e rvat i o n 

of endange red species. 

• P romoting the establishment of small 

fenced plant protection sites of 1-20 

h e c t a res in extent in fl o ri s t i c a l ly ri ch 

a reas. These will serve as re s e rvo i rs of 

seeds for adjacent are a s . 

• S t rengthen the env i ronmental awa re n e s s 

campaigns needed to end ove r- ex p l o i t ation 

by ove r- gra z i n g, t ree cutting, p l a n t 

collection etc. 

• E xe rt all effo rts to get legi s l ation passed 

to control ove r- ex p l o i t ation of plant res 

o u rces and to prevent large commerc i a l 

e n t e rp rises from using the ra n gelands fo r 

animal pro d u c t i o n . 

5 . All members to make eve ry effo rt to collect 

t raditional know l e d ge of plant use and to 

p rotect intellectual pro p e rty rights in re l ation 

to traditional uses of plants.

6 . To get legi s l ation passed, in accord a n c e 

with intern ational conve n t i o n s , to preve n t 

plant genetic mat e rial being tra n s fe rre d 

f rom countries of the region to elsewh e re. 

7 . The rep re s e n t at ives (orga n i s ations or individuals) 

who are the focal points for contact 

b e t ween APSG and member countries mu s t 

e n s u re that the re c o m m e n d ations of this 

meeting are carried thro u g h . 

8 . D evelop ways and means of improving regional 

contact and intera c t ive part i c i p at i o n 

in APSG mat t e rs , for ex a m p l e, by identifying 

APSG focal points in each country and 

by making use of the web site to be set up 

by NCWCD. 

9 . R e c ognising the increased rate of ex t i n ct 

i o n , i n c rease the effe c t iveness of regi o n a l 

i n t egrated conservation progra m m e s , i ncluding 

in situ and ex situ c o n s e rvat i o n , by 

s u p p o rt i n g, i m p roving or pro m o t i n g : 

• Gene/seed banks 

• Botanical ga rd e n s 

• E ffe c t ive ly managed protected are a s . 

10. P rep a re an inve n t o ry of all ongoing botanical 

projects both in conservation age n c i e s 

and unive rs i t i e s . 

11. E n c o u rage members to develop small, a ffo 

rd able pro j e c t s ,wh i ch would pre fe rably 

be suitable for post-gra d u ate students to 

c a rry out. 

12. O rganise wo rk s h o p s , in conjunction with 

I U C N, on prep a ration of Red Data Books. 

13. B roaden the membership base to incl u d e 

the entire A rabian Pe n i n s u l a . 

Abdulaziz H. A bu z i n a d a ,C h a i r 

Species 109

B ryo p hytes Specialist Gro u p 

S t atus Survey and Conservation 

Action Plan for Bryo p hy t e s 

M o s s e s ,L ive r wo rt s ,and Horn wo rt s 

E xe c u t ive Summary 

M o s s e s , l ive r wo rt s ,and horn wo rts belong to a 

d ivision of the plant kingdom known as 

B ryo p hyta—the bryo p hytes. Morp h o l ogi c a l ly, 

b ryo p hytes are usually small stru c t u re s , t y p ic 

a l ly green and lack some of the complex 

s t ru c t u res found in vascular plants. Th ey do not 

p roduce fl owe rs or seeds, and the majori t y 

h ave no internal mechanism for tra n s p o rt i n g 

water or nu t rients. Although they have no ro o t 

s t ru c t u re they do have ro o t - l i ke stru c t u res fo r 

a n ch o ring and water ab s o rp t i o n . 

B ryo p hytes ra n ge in size from a few mill 

i m e t res to half a metre in height; mosses may 

be ere c t , l at e ral or mu l t i p l e - b ra n ched in stru ct 

u re. Th ey are found on soil, ro ck s , and tre e s 

t h roughout the wo rl d, f rom coastal A n t a rc t i c a 

to the peat bogs of the Nort h e rn Hemisphere, 

and from the Au s t ralian deserts to the A m a zo n 

ra i n fo rests. Although small in stat u re, t h ey are 

an essential part of the eart h ’s biodive rs i t y, a n d 

p l ay a significant role in dive rse terre s t rial and 

a q u atic ecosystems; some species even domin 

ate pond and river hab i t at s . 

B ryo p hytes have important roles in the 

ecosystem in wh i ch they exist and in maintaining 

human well being. Th ey assist in the stab i li 

s ation of soil crust by colonising bare gro u n d, 

and ro ck s , and are essential in nu t rient re cycl 

i n g, biomass pro d u c t i o n , and carbon fi x i n g. 

In ge n e ra l ,t h ey are ve ry efficient at reg u l at i n g 

water fl ow by means of an effe c t ive wat e r- retention 

mechanism. Th ey also have an economic 

va l u e, whether it is as peat for fuel, 

h o rt i c u l t u re, oil ab s o rp t i o n ,or as sources for a 

wide va riety of chemical compounds. Bryop 

hytes have long been used for medicinal purposes 

and their value as pollution indicat o rs is 

well known. Th ey provide food for animals in 

cold env i ro n m e n t s , for ex a m p l e, re i n d e e r, 

musk ox , l e m m i n g s ,and other ro d e n t s . 

110 Species 

H oweve r, the wo rl dwide re d u c t i o n , f ragm 

e n t at i o n ,and degra d ation of hab i t ats important 

for bryo p hytes has led to a loss of species 

ri chness and genetic dive rs i t y. Th re ats to 

b ryo p hytes include defo re s t at i o n , fo rest cultivat 

i o n , land re cl a m at i o n , u r b a n i s at i o n , ro a d 

and dam constru c t i o n , m i n i n g, we t l a n d 

d ra i n age, and ove r- gra z i n g. Inva s ive, i n t roduced 

vascular plant species can also deva s t at e 

n at ive bryo p hyte fl o ras. 

B ryo p hytes are thre atened part ly because of 

their morp h o l ogy and rep roduction rates. Th ey 

a re fragile stru c t u re s ,s e n s i t ive to dro u g h t , a n d 

h ave a re l at ive ly low growth rate; they therefo 

re desiccate quick ly during periods of dry 

we ather and are highly vulnerable to disturb 

a n c e. Th ey are also ex t re m e ly sensitive to pollution 

as they lack a cuticula (a layer on the 

outer cell surface that protects the tissue fro m , 

for ex a m p l e, h a rmful chemicals). Bryo p hy t e s 

a re also thre atened because of their lack of 

i m age within the sphere of nat u re conserva-

tion. Th ey are not large, ch a ri s m atic species, 

and couple with a lack of understanding of how 

t h ey contri bute towa rds ecosystem functioning 

often results in them being ove rl o o ked by the 

ge n e ral publ i c, and conservation groups. Unfo 

rt u n at e ly, m a ny areas wh e re species dive rs ity 

is ex t re m e ly high are highly thre atened by 

h ab i t at destru c t i o n ,for example the lowland regions 

of East and Southeast A s i a . 

This Action Plan rev i ews the status of 

b ryo p hytes wo rl dwide and provides ex a m p l e 

of hab i t ats curre n t ly ri ch in bryo p hytes. It is 

aimed at individuals who wo rk in the field of, 

and have an interest in, n at u re conservat i o n , 

and wish to take steps to conserve bryo p hy t e s . 

It is also aimed at gove rnmental and non-gove 

rnmental orga n i z at i o n , p o l i t i c i a n s , and the 

ge n e ral publ i c. These individuals and orga n iz 

ations have the ability to implement the 

re c o m m e n d ations and ge n e ral initiat ives fo rwa 

rded within this plan. 

The United Nations (UN) Convention on 

B i o l ogical Dive rsity (CBD) may be a legi s l at 

ive option for effe c t ive bryo p hyte conservation 

in some countries. Many have not rat i fi e d 

this conve n t i o n , and bryo p hytes should be included 

in the National Biodive rsity Strat egy 

and Action Plan of each country. 

This Action Plan suggests a number of 

m o re ge n e ral initiat ive s , i n cl u d i n g : 

• I n c reasing inve n t o ries in the tropics to det 

e rmine bryo p hyte ri chness in diffe rent regions 

and hab i t at types. 

• I n c reasing inve n t o ries in the tropics to det 

e rmine wh i ch species are locally common, 

ra re, or thre at e n e d. 

• E s t ablishing protected areas or national systems 

of protect are a s . 

• A m a l ga m ating bryo p hytes conservat i o n , 

and development and industrial activ i t i e s . 

• C o m p a ring bryo p hyte fl o ras of undisturbed 

and disturbed hab i t at s ,to determine the impact 

of disturbance, and to identify those 

species unable to surv ive in disturbed are a s . 

Without re l i able info rm ation on the hab i t at 

re q u i rements of species, i n cluding info rm ation 

on the quality of the hab i t at s , it is 

i m p o s s i ble to determine ap p ro p ri ate conservation 

actions. 

• S t u dying the taxonomy and distri bution of 

i n d ividuals species, to determine how 

species can be identifi e d, to determine their 

ra n ge s , and to help identify those that are 

n a rrow ly endemic (i.e. occur only within a 

small regi o n ) . 

• Training locals to become specialists. Because 

of the speed at wh i ch nat u ral env i ro nments 

are disap p e a ring wo rl dw i d e, t h i s 

i n i t i at ive is ex t re m e ly urgent and should be 

implemented immediat e ly. 

Examples of pri o rity projects for bryo p hy t e 

c o n s e rvation and a list of the most endange re d 

b ryo p hyte species throughout the wo rld can be 

found in the appendices of this Action Plan. 

The 1999 Wo rld Red List of Bryo p hytes can be 

found at the fo l l owing Internet site: w w w. d h a . 

slu.se/guest/ Wo rl d B ryo.htm 

Aims of the Plan 

• To describe the role of bryo p hytes (mosses, 

l ive r wo rt s , and horn wo rts) in nat u ra l 

e c o s y s t e m s . 

• To explain the importance of bryo p hytes to 

human populat i o n s . 

• To explain the thre ats to bryo p hy t e s . 

• To identify specific areas of high bryo l ogical 

dive rsity (re fe rred to as “hot spots” 

t h roughout this plan). 

• To determine wh i ch hab i t ats are in urge n t 

need of protection or other conservat i o n 

m a n agement ap p ro a ches or both. 

• To endorse new and re l evant conservat i o n 

p ro j e c t s . 

• To provide info rm ation on the most endange 

red bryo p hyte species. 

Tomas Hallingback ,C h a i r 

Species 111

Cactus and Succulent Specialist Gro u p 

This group has been inactive for mu ch of the 

t ri e n n i u m ,but re c e n t ly new offi c e rs have been 

selected and the group re c o n s t i t u t e d. Th e 

n ew ly re a c t ivated group has a membership of 

about 60, with Edwa rd F. A n d e rson as Chair, 

Héctor Hernández as Vi c e - C h a i r, and Wo l fgang 

Stuppy as Secre t a ry. 

The Gro u p ’s Action Plan was published in 

1 9 9 7 , under the editorship of Sara Oldfi e l d. 

M a ny action proposals we re set fo rth and these 

will be studied, u p d at e d, and projects implemented 

wh e re possibl e. Ap a rt from pro m o t i n g 

the implementation of the Action Plan, t h e 

G roup will also wo rk to insure that all who can 

b e n e fit from the Action Plan will have a copy 

of it. 

The Group also plans to continue its support 

and encouragement of the monitoring of ra re 

cacti and succulents. It will also ex p l o re way s 

112 Species 

by wh i ch scientists may wo rk more easily 

under the re s t rictions and with the pro bl e m s 

caused by CITES and va rious gove rn m e n t a l 

reg u l at i o n s . 

One of the most important (medium term ) 

o b j e c t ives of the Group is the fo rm ation of a 

Red List Au t h o rity fo l l owing the recent inv i t ation 

by the SSC Chair, D avid Bra cke t t . 

To provide a rapid and efficient means fo r 

the ex ch a n ge of info rm ation between the gro u p 

m e m b e rs the Gro u p ’s secre t a ry has cre ated a 

l i s t s e rver (cssg@rbgkew. o rg.uk). It is also 

hoped that this electronic tool will be va l u abl e 

for on-going discussions. 

The next meeting of the Group will be at the 

fo rthcoming IOS Congre s s , to be held in 

Z ü ri ch ,S w i t ze rl a n d, in March 2000. 

E dwa rd F. A n d e rs o n ,C h a i r

Cycad Specialist Gro u p 

The last triennium for the Cycad Specialist 

G roup re a l ly began in 1996 at the 4th Intern ational 

Confe rence on Cycad Biology held in 

Pa n z h i h u a ,China. This was the fi rst opport u n ity 

we had to share ideas with We n dy Strahm of 

the SSC about the development of a Cycad A ction 

Plan, and the decisions emanating fro m 

t h at meeting have directed the activities of the 

CSG since then. As part of the Action Planning 

p ro c e s s ,m e m b e rs of the CSG met again in October 

1997 and in August 1999 at the Montgo 

m e ry Botanical Center in Miami, U S A , t o 

flesh out the contents of the va rious ch ap t e rs 

and to discuss progress. The Action Plan is 

n ow nearing completion and should be submitted 

by the time this art i cle is publ i s h e d. Th e 

Action Plan will contain an ove rv i ew of the 

wo rl d ’s cy c a d s , rev i ews of their status in each 

of the four major areas wh e re they occur 

( A f ri c a , A s i a , Au s t ra l i a , and the A m e ri c a s ) , a 

unifying model for conservation actions as 

well as ch ap t e rs on the role of botanic ga rd e n s 

and sustainable tra d e. 

Although the Cycad Action Plan has not 

been publ i s h e d, m e m b e rs of the CSG have 

been putting into action some of the re c o mm 

e n d ations contained in the plan. One of the 

c o n c e rns raised in the Action Plan is the loss of 

cycad pollinat o rs from cri t i c a l ly small populations. 

During the past three ye a rs ,s u rveys have 

been undert a ken in parts of S.E. Asia and 

A f rica to determine the extent of pollinator extinctions. 

Surveys in A f rica we re funded by the 

C h i c ago Zoological Society and the Mazda 

Wi l d l i fe Fund. The Action Plan also advo c at e s 

mu ch gre ater use of community run nu rs e ri e s 

to pro p agate cycad seedlings. Mario Va z q u e z 

To rres and A n d rew Vovides of the CSG have 

been pioneers in the development of nu rs e ri e s 

in Mexico. Similar nu rs e ries have also been set 

up in southern A f ri c a , and William Tang and 

C h i a - Jui Chen of the CSG have been deve l o ping 

the infra s t ru c t u re for similar projects in the 

Peoples Rep u blic of China. Th e re has also 

been a concerted effo rt to establish a netwo rk 

of botanic ga rdens that are committed to cy c a d 

c o n s e rvation. We now have good info rm at i o n 

on wh at level of sampling is re q u i red for repre 

s e n t at ive ge n ebanks of cycad populat i o n s , 

and the Montgo m e ry Botanical Center in the 

USA and the Low veld Botanical Garden in 

South A f rica provide useful models for the est 

ablishment of such collections. Our aim now 

is to develop a netwo rk of ga rdens that collect 

ive ly contain rep re s e n t at ive mat e rial of all 

t h re atened cycads. 

The publ i c ation of The 1997 IUCN Red List 

of Th re atened Plants s e rved as a pertinent reminder 

of the desperate plight of many cy c a d 

p o p u l ations. Compared to the 12% of all plant 

species listed in one of the thre atened cat ego 

ri e s , m o re than 80% of the cycads known at 

t h at time we re included in the list. Since then, 

m e m b e rs of the CSG have been revising the 

t h re atened status of the wo rl d ’s cycads using 

the latest IUCN cat ego ries of thre at wh i ch will 

be included in the Cycad Action Plan. Th e 

CSG was also re c e n t ly appointed as the Red 

List Au t h o rity for cycads and updated info rm ation 

on cycads should be included in The 2000 

IUCN Red List of Th re atened Plants. An add itional 

responsibility of the CSG has been upd 

ating the taxonomy of the ca. 270 re c og n i ze d 

cycad taxa. This is becoming an incre a s i n g ly 

i m p o rtant task because intensive fi e l dwo rk and 

taxonomic revisions over the past five ye a rs 

h ave resulted in a substantial increase in the 

number of re c og n i zed cycad species, e s p e c i a lly 

in S.E. Asia and Au s t ralasia. The latest pri n ted 

ve rsion of the wo rld list of cycads wa s 

p u blished in the Proceedings of the 4th Intern 

ational Confe rence on Cycad Biology (Intern 

ational Academic Publ i s h e rs , B e i j i n g, 1 9 9 9 ) 

as part of a series of regular updates. Howeve r, 

the internet provides a more ve rs atile plat fo rm 

to ke ep pace with ongoing ch a n ges in cy c a d 

t a x o n o my and a website has been set up by 

Ken Hill of the CSG to provide this serv i c e 

( w w w. p l a n t n e t . r b g s y d. gov. a u / P l a n t N e t / cycad/. 

Species 113

S a d ly, the CSG lost a gre at champion in 

1998 with the untimely death of Cynthia 

G i ddy. Cynthia ch a i red the CSG from 1994 

until 1996 when she was fo rced by ill health to 

re t i re from an active leadership ro l e. Neve rt h el 

e s s , Cynthia continued to serve on the CSG 

until she was tragi c a l ly killed in a car accident 

t ogether with her husband, Te d. Cynthia’s 

d e ath was a gre at loss to the CSG especially 

because she had developed strong links with 

the CITES Plants Committee and provided inva 

l u able advice on trade in cycads. This link 

114 Species 

has now been part ly re s t o red with the ap p o i n tment 

in June 1999 of John Donaldson (Chair 

of the CSG) as one of the A f rican rep re s e n t at 

ives on the CITES Plants Committee. 

The next triennium promises to be a bu s y 

one for the CSG as we continue to implement 

the re c o m m e n d ations of the Cycad A c t i o n 

P l a n . 

John Donaldson, C h a i r

E a s t e rn A f rica Plant Specialist Gro u p 

The Eastern A f rica region is endowed with a 

ri ch fl o ra and dive rse vege t ation rep re s e n t ation. 

In terms of global signifi c a n c e, the regi 

o n ’s unique hab i t ats (hot spots) include the 

E a s t e rn A rc Mountains with ex t re m e ly high 

l evels of endemicity, the dive rse coastal fl o ra , 

the ri ch upland fo rests and the uniquely adap ted 

semi-arid and arid land fl o ra. Howeve r, t h i s 

n at u ral re s o u rce is not paralleled by a similar 

b readth of ex p e rtise and know l e d ge, and wh e re 

p re s e n t ,the effo rts are frag m e n t e d. This limits 

the capacity and potential for action especially 

in the mu ch needed areas of conservation and 

s u s t a i n able use. The botanical re s e a rch effo rt is 

also hampered by limited funds and hence the 

o n going initiat ives tend to be opportunistic depending 

on ava i l ability of funds rather than 

s t rat egi c. 

In order to add ress some of these issues, 

c o l l ab o rations and netwo rking are essential as 

a means to strengthen existing cap a c i t y, m obilise 

ava i l able re s o u rces effe c t ive ly and effic 

i e n t ly and fa c i l i t ate capacity building in the 

gap areas. The idea of a regional netwo rk to fac 

i l i t ate botanical re s e a rch and conservat i o n 

was proposed as early as 1992 fo l l owing a 

meeting supported UNESCO entitled “ B o t a ny 

2 0 0 0 ”and later at va rious IUCN Plant Conservation 

Committee meetings. Hence, t h e 

EAPSG establishment fulfills a need long 

i d e n t i fied in the regi o n . 

I n i t i ated in 1999, the EAPSG aims to cont 

ri bute to the implementation of the IUCN SSC 

mission for the region. Its broad objectives fi t 

within the IUCN SSC Strat egic Plan for 2000- 

2005 and the IUCN SSC Plant Conservat i o n 

P rogramme 2000-2005. Howeve r, the fo c u s 

and specific objectives have been tailored to 

meet regional needs. 

While many needs and gaps have been 

i d e n t i fi e d, the EAPSG will seek to complement 

ongoing initiat ives with a three pro n ge d 

fo c u s : 

• fa c i l i t ate netwo rking and capacity building; 

• c o n s o l i d ate and strengthen existing potential 

in plant conservation in Eastern A f ri c a 

a n d 

• p rovide a re s o u rce for supporting conservation 

re s e a rch and projects in the regi o n . 

F u t u re Objective s 

The main objectives for the period 2000-2005 

h ave been identified as fo l l ow s : 

• Fa c i l i t ate capacity building through local 

t a rgeted specialist courses as well as identifying 

re l evant intern ational courses and 

s h a ring info rm at i o n , with potential benefic 

i a ri e s 

• D evelop an info rm ation base on ongo i n g 

p rogrammes and projects as a basis for netwo 

rking and strengthening local cap a c i t i e s 

to implement effe c t ive and efficient conservation 

initiat ive s 

• D evelop key re s o u rces including linkages to 

funding sourc e s , s o u rces of pertinent literat 

u re and re s e a rch support; and fa c i l i t ate app 

ro p ri ate commu n i c at i o n 

• D evelop mechanisms to encourage and supp 

o rt young scientists to carry out conservation 

re s e a rch 

• Fa c i l i t ate internet access to re l evant websites 

and listserve rs to broaden local res 

o u rces 

• D evelop a website for the group and incl u d e 

ap p ro p ri ate linkages as re s o u rce for local 

re s e a rch e rs as well as collab o rat o rs and 

s u p p o rt e rs . 

Species 115

In these initial stage s , s t rat egic support for the 

e s t ablishment of the Group has been kindly 

p rovided by the National Museums of Ke nya 

and the IUCN Eastern A f rica Regional Offi c e. 

The main focus in the year 2000 is to deve lop 

a dat abase on the ex p e rtise in the region and 

s p e c i fi c a l ly dire c t o ries of Conservation and 

Taxonomic Projects. A draft output of these 

has been produced and circ u l ated for editing. A 

va l u able addition to these will be the publ i s h e d 

l i t e rat u re by the specialists. We would like to 

a ck n ow l e d ge the support of UNESCO in 

p rep a ring these datasets. Eve n t u a l ly, these will 

be ava i l able on the Internet to strengthen local, 

regional and intern ational collab o ration and 

n e t wo rk i n g. 

116 Species 

Other Strat egic activities for the Gro u p 

within this period will include the identifi c ation 

of of Red Listing ex p e rts within the regi o n 

and their effe c t ive training at va rious wo rkshops. 

As a designated Red Listing Au t h o ri t y, 

building up baseline re s o u rces to fa c i l i t ate tri a l 

of the RAMAS softwa re and production of an 

u p d ate on the plant red list will fo l l ow. To 

a ch i eve this, p roposals for building a Plant Info 

rm ation Service for the region are being developed 

to fo rm the rational basis for Red 

L i s t i n g. 

Stella Simiyu, C h a i r

F u n gi Specialist Gro u p 

For about one ye a r, the Specialist Group fo r 

F u n gi has been rev ived after a period of dorm 

a n cy (1995-1998). Within this Gro u p , t h e 

E u ropean Council for the Conservation of 

F u n gi (ECCF) serves as a fra m ewo rk since it 

has accumu l ated mu ch ex p e rience since 1984. 

The FSG plans to add individuals invo l ved in 

f u n gal conservation outside Europe so that the 

group will build an intern ational netwo rk. Th e 

FSG is still in fo rm ation. We stress the importance 

of commu n i c ation between all the people 

i nvo l ved in fungal conservation and to ask fo r 

a ny info rm ation eve n t u a l ly lacking from this 

rep o rt . 

F u n gi ve ry ra re ly are lega l ly pro t e c t e d. A 

n o t able ex c eption are 52 species that have lega l 

s t atus in Slova k i a , e n abling manage rs to prevent 

degra d ation of their hab i t ats. In other 

c o u n t ri e s ,l e a flets arguing for necessity of fungal 

conservation and summarizing useful 

re c o m m e n d ations have been pro d u c e d, for example 

in Switze rland or the UK. Red data lists 

h ave been published or are in prep a ration in 

m a ny countri e s , e s p e c i a l ly in the old wo rl d, 

d e m o n s t rating the increasing concern of myc 

o l ogists in this topic. At the same time, m o re 

n at u ral area manage rs pay gre ater attention to 

f u n gi. So, the idea that fungi may be thre at e n e d 

and deserve special attention for their conservation 

is now ve ry well establ i s h e d, at least in 

E u ro p e. But this is not yet true eve ry wh e re in 

the wo rl d. 

The Main Causes of Decline and 

Th re at for Fungi , Wo rl dw i d e 

Some global pro blems are re l ated to fungal decl 

i n e : 

• Global air pollution may influence fungi 

t h rough the greenhouse effect and the slow 

cl i m ate ch a n ge wh i ch thre ats some sensibl e 

s p e c i e s , also in favo u ring the deve l o p m e n t 

of more thermophilic taxa wh i ch could turn 

to act as alien competitors for the nat ive 


• The dra m atic cutting of fo re s t s ,p a rt i c u l a rly 

in the Tropics but also in more temperate or 

s u b - b o real to boreal regions is of para m o u n t 

i m p o rtance in the decline of fungi wo rl dw 

i d e. 

Some other pro blems have a more local or 

s p e c i fic effect on fungi . 

• Air pollution, wh at ever the scale causes 

well-documented species declines. A c i d 

and nitrogen dep o s i t i o n , a c i d i fi c ation of 

s o i l s ,a c c u mu l ation of metals and other pollutants 

interfe re with fungi . 

• Frag m e n t ation of the hab i t at s , re l ated to 

fo rest cuttings, urban ex t e n s i o n ,ch a n ges in 

agri c u l t u ral pra c t i c e s , land uses and wo o d 

m a n agement is crucial since fungal populations 

fail to develop a normal ge n e t i c a l 

functionning in fragmented are a s . 

• M o d e rn agri c u l t u re uses more and more 

chemical tre atments and lead to va rious env 

i ronmental ch a n ges. 

Species 117

• H a rvesting of edible species at the indiv i dual 

leve l , it is seldom a significant impact to 

a species. Industrial harvesting is of gre at 

c o n c e rn , as shown by pap e rs from the 

A m e ricas and complaints from Eastern 

E u ropean my c o l ogists; it may have a disturbing 

effect on the trophic stability of 

ecosystems. This ge n e rates a controve rs y, 

some people claiming that heavy harve s t i n g 

is harmless and others claiming the oppos 

i t e. Further pro blems arise around the tra d e 

of edible A f rican ch a n t e rels (including aso 

f - yet undescribed species), tons of wh i ch 

a re imported ye a rly in Euro p e. Furt h e rm 

o re, we know almost nothing about the 

sites and harvesting conditions of decorat 

ive tropical poly p o re s , sometimes used in 

fl o ral compositions. 

Those causes of fungal decline might be 

d i s c o u raging for fungal conservationists not 

yet speaking about the global demograp h i c 

p ro blem on Earth; how could we pretend to 

m a n age global wa rm i n g, or global defo re s t ation? 

How can we intercede with politicians 

about agri c u l t u ral pratices and control of ind 

u s t rial pollution? How should we handle the 

h a rvesting of edible fungi since economic int 

e rests are invo l ve d, i n d u s t ri a l ly but sometimes 

at the familial or local leve l , t h e re fo re giving a 

social dimension to the pro blem? Wh at we can 

do actually concerns fungi in the fi e l d, and is 

re l ated to our know l e d ge of the pat ri m o n i a l 

value of fungi. We must populari ze this va l u e 

and use it in nat u re conservation. For that , we 

m ay use seve ral tools. 

In most of the countries wo rl dw i d e, wh at is 

b a s i c a l ly lacking are ch e cklists for fungi , i n 

t ropical or developing countri e s , but also developed 

nations. The situation is wo rse at the 

continental leve l , although the project of a European 

ch e ck-list has been urged by the IUCN 

and is curre n t ly considered by the ECCF fo r 

the near future. Our pri o ri t a ry task is to promote 

fungal inve n t o ries. Side pro blems and 

questions around this topic are (a) conserv i n g 

the taxonomists themselve s , (b) developing 

a rguments towa rd the interest of such inve n t ori 

e s , (c) using a consensus re a s o n able taxonomy, 

s h a rp enough to ke ep the ecologi c a l ly 

b i o i n d i c at ive value to the re c og n i zed taxa. 

118 Species 

Beside the basic know l e d ge of the funga l 

d ive rs i t y, m apping programs may yield useful 

i n fo rm ation about the ra rity of species, t h e i r 

d e cline and their pat rimonial va l u e. Our second 

task is to promote such mapping programs. 

Some of them are conducted in 

c o u n t ries wh e re inve n t o ry data are sufficient or 

not ye t , for example in Au s t ralia wh e re an ambitious 

and important project is alre a dy ru nn 

i n g. In Europe the ECCF is curre n t ly 

o rganizing a mapping program of endange re d 


A c c o rding to the results of inve n t o ry and 

m apping progra m s , my c o l ogists are enabled to 

p rep a re red lists for ge ographical or political 

units. Red listing is our third fundamental task. 

Red lists ap p e a red mainly in Europe but rec 

e n t ly in the USA as we l l , with a pre l i m i n a ry 

list for Oregon as an ex a m p l e. Red listing ra i ses 

many pro bl e m s ,e s p e c i a l ly the choice of crit 

e ria for putting species on the list or not. 

S eve ral models are used at the moment bu t 

t h e re is a strong desirability for using an hom 

ogeneous system, at least at the national leve l 

wh e re comparability with neighbouring count 

ries is a pri o ri t y. Th u s , we must tend to use the 

IUCN cri t e ri a , c u rre n t ly in re eva l u ation. Fungal 

peculiarities led to proposals elab o rated by 

an ECCF commission. 

H aving at hand the results of such progra 

m s , even still quite frag m e n t a ry, we may 

consider fungal conservation and use fungi in 

n at u re conservation. It is widely admitted that 

f u n gi cannot be only conserved solely by publishing 

lists of lega l ly protected species. Th e 

b i o l ogy of fungi , the gre at difficulties for their 

i d e n t i fi c ation and other peculiarities don’t fi t 

with this option. The most important tool fo r 

f u n gal conservation is the conservation of their 

h ab i t at s ,rega rding for example the current tend 

a n cy to replace nat ive fo rests by more prod 

u c t ive alien timber, a pro blem also crucial in 

some tropical countries. 

The concept of my c o l ogical re s e rves is int 

e resting since it may promote the conservat i o n 

of hab i t ats especially va l u able for fungi and 

not yet pre s e rved on a non-my c o l ogical basis. 

S u ch re s e rves exist in European countries and 

wo rk is being done at the moment in Fra n c e. 

The biological corri d o rs concept should also 

be considere d. This has positive effects on the

s u rv ival and re s t o ration of plant and animal 

p o p u l ations. It is pro b able that they may act in 

a similar way for fungi . 

In some cases, e s p e c i a l ly for sap ro t ro p h s 

growing in culture, ex situ c o n s e rvation programs 

may be deve l o p p e d. An example of that 

has been shown for P l e u rotus neb ro d e n s i s i n 

S i c i ly. This is rather close to the seed banks 

c o n c ep t ,used for plants. 

After this statement of wh at we have to do 

(some items being actually alre a dy effe c t ive 

and efficient in some parts of the wo rl d ) ,let me 

a dd some wo rds on the Specialist Group fo r 

f u n gi ,its composition and its ro l e, as I imagi n e 

it. The current composition is: 

C h a i r : R é gis Courtecuisse (Fra n c e ) 

S e c re t a ry :Claudia Pe rini (Italy) 

M e m b e rs :A n d e rs Bohlin (Swe d e n ) , Pe t e r 

B u chanan (New Zealand), Julietta Carra n z a 

(Costa Rica), Ignacio Chapela (Mex i c o ) , 

S h e l l ey Evans (UK), Ana Franco (Columb 

i a ) , B ruce Ing (UK), Te resita Iturri aga 

( Ve n e z u e l a ) , Heikki Ko t i ranta (Fi n l a n d ) , 

Pavel Lizon (Slova k i a ) , Jean Lodge (USA- 

Po rto Rico), Tom May (Au s t ra l i a ) , G reg 

Mueller (USA), M a ri j ke Nauta (Th e 

N e t h e rl a n d s ) , L o relei Norvell (Canada), 

Scott Redhead (Canada). 

So fa r, m e m b e rs from A f rica and Asia are 

l a cking but I expect this to ch a n ge ve ry soon. 

The main roles of members of this gro u p 

will re l ate to the ab ove pri o ri t i e s :p romotion of 

i nve n t o ri e s ,m apping progra m s , and red listing 

p rograms. We will have to develop specific res 

e a rch for (1) defining objective ly pri o ri t a ry 

h ab i t ats for fungi , (2) developing and pro m o ting 

fungal bio-indicat o rs of env i ro n m e n t a l 

quality as a tool for nat u ral re s o u rce manage rs 

( d e fining indicator species of old and pri m eva l 

fo rests for example must be promoted under 

this re s p e c t ) ,(3) stressing the role of fungi , e sp 

e c i a l ly my c o rr h i z a l , in re h ab i l i t ation of polluted 

are a s , (4) eva l u ating the importance of 

c o n s e rving the parasitic fungi , i m p o rtant in 

ecosystem function, (5) promoting the role of 

n at u ral history collections in nat u re conservation. 

We will also strenghten and fo rm a l i ze contacts 

with (1) nat u ralists invo l ved in conservat 

i o n , in order to cross data and to stre n g h t e n 

a rguments for conserving globally va l u abl e 

h ab i t ats or places, (2) administrations and decision 

holders at local, regi o n a l , n ational and 

s u p ra - n ational levels. At the European leve l , 

contacts with the Bern convention stru c t u re are 

in progress and will hopefully lead to the integration 

of fungi in the Bern convention Ap p e ndix. 

We should take part in re fl ex i o n s 

c o n c e rning society pro bl e m s ,s u ch as the social 

consequences of edible fungi harvesting limit 

ations. Fi n a l ly, we will build a netwo rk fo r 

p romoting public education. Commu n i c at i o n 

b e t ween the members of our group must be 

made easier, of course through electro n i c 

media but also through the F u n gi and Conservation 

New s l e t t e r, t h ree of wh i ch had been 

p u blished in the past by the IUCN and wh i ch I 

will try to rev ive. 

To concl u d e, I would like to thank and congrat 

u l ate the friends who ch a i red the ECCF so 

fa r, the wo rk of wh i ch is a re l i able fra m ewo rk 

for conservation of fungi , still to be deve l o p e d 

in Europe wh e re the idea was born and also to 

be initiated after this model elsewh e re, w i t h 

eventual local adap t at i o n s . 

Th at is my ch a l l e n ge and goal. I hope this 

will start a promising millenium for funga l 

c o n s e rvat i o n . 

R é gis Court e c u i s s e, C h a i r 

E - m a i l :rc o u rt e c @ p h a re. u n iv - l i l l e 2 . f r 

Species 119

Indian Subcontinent Plant Specialist Gro u p 

A Rep o rt on A c t ivities Undert a ke n 

D u ring the Present Quadre n n i u m 

After the reconstitution of the ISPSG in early 

1997 the group was activated to undert a ke status 

surveys and prep a re conservation action 

plans for thre atened plants of the region. Th e 

fi rst confe rence of the ISPSG was held at Corbett 

National Pa rk ,R a m n aga r, in Ja nu a ry 1998, 

with the financial support of the Gove rn m e n t 

of India through the Ministry of Env i ro n m e n t 

& Fo re s t s , and the Dep a rtment of Science & 

Te ch n o l ogy, ex p re s s ly for the purpose of fo rmu 

l ating a conservation strat egy that wo u l d 

guide the activities of the specialist group. Th e 

fo l l owing objectives for the specialist gro u p 

we re outlined: 

• To identify thre atened species for carry i n g 

out detailed assessment of the conservat i o n 

s t atus in the fo l l owing gro u p s : (i) Lich e n s ; 

(ii) Bryo p hytes; (iii) Pteri d o p hytes; (iv ) 

G y m n o s p e rms; (v) Medicinal plants, a n d 

(vi) Wild plants of potential economic 

va l u e. 

• To assess the conservation status of plant 

species in fragile ecosystems and in unique 

l a n d s c apes that are like ly to be disturbed by 

d evelopmental activities. The fo l l ow i n g 

b road phy t oge ographical regions have been 

i d e n t i fi e d :(i) Eastern Himalayas (incl u d i n g 

E. Nepal-Darjeeling-Sikkim and A ru n a ch a l 

P radesh); (ii) Northeast region (incl u d i n g 

B a n g l a d e s h ,Assam & other Indian stat e s ) ; 

(iii) Nort h we s t e rn Himalaya (incl u d i n g 

Kashmir Himalayas); (iv) We s t e rn Ghat s ; 

(v) Eastern Ghats; (vi) Andaman and Nicobar 

islands 

• To evo l ve Action Plans for the groups and 

regions mentioned ab ove. 

• To fo rmu l ate strat egies for implementat i o n 

of the Action Plans evo l ve d. 

120 Species 

• To serve as wat ch d og for the species that 

a re going extinct due to developmental progra 

m m e s , and to focus on the action and 

p o l i cy guidelines for securing thre at e n e d 

s p e c i e s ,and also for the sustainable utilisation 

of the economically important species. 

• To build up public awa reness and community 

part i c i p ation in the conservation of 

plants under thre at ,t a rgeting educational institutions 

and using the existing eco-deve lopment 

programmes. 

The group unanimously agreed that wild 

e n d a n ge red species of orch i d s , fe rns cero p egias 

and other economically important plants 

i n cluding ove r- exploited medicinal plants need 

to be saved by widening the scope of the 

Wi l d l i fe Protection Act to include these. 

The initiat ive taken at the Corbett confe rence 

was seized by many members who ze a lo 

u s ly wo rked towa rds the objectives and some 

action plans began to be deve l o p e d. T. B. 

S h reshta and alar Khan have been doing ex c e llent 

wo rk on the thre atened plants of Nepal and 

B a n g l a d e s h ,re s p e c t ive ly. S.R. Ya d av did comm 

e n d able wo rk on the cero p egias of We s t e rn 

G h ats rep o rting more than twenty endange re d 

c e ro p egias from the region. Manickam did excellent 

wo rk on the fe rns of We s t e rn Ghats and 

re c o rded about 44 endange red fe rns from this 

hoptspot area. A.R Das, who has been wo rk i n g 

on the thre atened plants of Darjeeling hills in 

E a s t e rn Himalaya , listed 224 thre atened plants 

f rom the region. Similarly, Gaur enu m e rat e d 

the thre atened plants of the We s t e rn Himalaya . 

Action plans for the poppies of the Himalaya n 

region and insectivo rous plants are also being 

p rep a red by C.R. Babu and M. A h m e d u l l a h . 

B abu ’s team undertook pre l i m i n a ry surveys of 

aconitums of Himachal Pradesh in We s t e rn 

H i m a l aya; populations of A. hetero p hy l l u m 

wh i ch we re rep o rted earlier from Keylong and 

Sissoo could not be located during subsequent 

visits to these localities.

H aving fo rm a l ly become part of SSC’s Red 

List Progra m m e, the ISPSG is now engaged in 

the red listing process. An eva l u ation of the 

t h re atened plants of peninsular India was completed 

(by M. Ahmedullah) ap p lying the IUCN 

Red List Cri t e ria and the wo rk is under publ ic 

ation by the Botanical Survey of India. An action 

plan for the top hundred endange red plants 

of the Indian subcontinent is nearing completion. 

Needless to add, the ISPSG is in need of a 

c o rpus fund that would fa c i l i t ate the purs u a n c e 

of its mandat e. Although the specialist gro u p 

m e m b e rs wo rk on a vo l u n t a ry basis in the in- 

t e rests of conservation re s e a rch , the activ i t i e s 

i n o rd i n at e ly suffer a setback owing to fi n a n c i a l 

c o n s t raints and their effo rts often do not come 

to fruition. Th e re fo re, the ISPSG is now planning 

to give special attention to fund-ra i s i n g 

a c t ivities in the next quadrennium to fa c i l i t at e 

its wo rk plans/progra m m e s . 

M. A h m e d u l l a h ,Vice Chair 

Species 121

Ko rean Plant Specialist Gro u p 

The Ko rean Plant Specialist Group (KPSG) 

was fo rmed in the spring of 1997 just after the 

meeting of the Wo rld Conservation Congre s s 

in Montreal in 1996. The thirt y - four members 

of the KPSG include rep re s e n t at ives from gove 

rnmental orga n i z at i o n s ,botanical ga rdens and 

a r b o re t a , as well as the academic institutions 

and plant conservation NGO’s of Ko rea. Th e 

KPSG is publishes the KPSG New s l e t t e r, w i t h 

over 300 copies, p roduced four times a ye a r ; 

Ko rean language editions in March , June and 

S ep t e m b e r, and an English edition in Decemb 

e r. The KPSG Newsletter is aimed to improve 

c o m mu n i c ation and co-ord i n ation for plant 

c o n s e rvation in Ko rea. The Office of Fo re s t ry, 

Ko re a , is the sponsoring body for pri n t i n g 

costs. 

In honour of the state visit of Her Majesty 

E l i z abeth II and the Duke of Edinbu rgh to 

Ko rea in Ap ril 1999, the KPSG held the fi rs t 

n ational plant conservation wo rkshop at the 

N ational A r b o retum (fo rm e rly known as the 

K wa n g nung A r b o retum) in October. Th i s 

meeting was supported by the British Embassy, 

S e o u l ,Ko rea. This meeting, also celeb rated the 

i n a u g u ration the National A r b o retum of Ko re a . 

We n dy Stra h m , Plants Officer for SSC, led a 

small SSC delegation to this meeting. Th e 

meeting re flected a growing concern for the 

n at i o n ’s biodive rs i t y, and succesfully raised the 

p ro file of plant conservation in Ko rea. A lthough 

the KPSG is starting with a small 

gro u p , the membership is expanding and taking 

an incre a s i n g ly re s p o n s i ble role for plant 

c o n s e rvation in Ko re a . 

The KPSG held a technical wo rkshop in 

Ja nu a ry, 2000 at Yeungnam Unive rs i t y, Kyongsan 

to prep a re the mission statement for the 

millenium. Also this meeting dealt with the 

IUCN Red List cat ego ri z ation for the Ko re a n 

plants. As outlined below, the KPSG aims to be 

the main and progre s s ive body for plant cons 

e rvation in the country. 

122 Species 

Mission Stat e m e n t 

To support the conservation of Ko rean plant dive 

rs i t y, for present and future ge n e rat i o n s , 

t h rough interd i s c i p l i n a ry collab o rat i o n ,and the 

u t i l i s ation of applied conservation biology and 

p ro fessional know l e d ge. 

G o a l s 

• KPSG to be the authori t at ive source of plant 

c o n s e rvation info rm ation for Ko re a 

• KPSG to play an influential and valued ro l e 

in national biodive rsity planning and manage 

m e n t 

• KPSG to develop national capacity in plant 

c o n s e rvat i o n 

• KPSG to be a mechanism to intro d u c e 

IUCN\SSC mat e rial and protocols to the 

Ko rean conservation commu n i t y 

• KPSG to pursue all of the ab ove through act 

ive collab o ration and free ex ch a n ge of info 

rm ation with re l evant part n e rs 

O b j e c t ive s 

• To identify Important Plant A reas for Ko re a 

and ensure effe c t ive pro t e c t i o n s 

• To identify and assess thre atened plant 

species in Ko rea and ensure effe c t ive prot 

e c t i o n 

• To collab o rate dire c t ly with Gove rnment of 

Ko rea on national biodive rsity planning 

• To develop and implement a training programme 

for KPSG members and allied institutional 

age n c i e s 

• To develop a fund raising programme to dire 

c t ly support KPSG mission and go a l s

A c t ivities and Outputs (2000–2002) 

1 . A n nual meetings to be held. 

2 . P roduction of newsletter (4/yr) 

3 . I n i t i ation of training programme after tra i ning 

needs assessment. 

4 . I n i t i ation of IUCN Red listing pro c e s s 

( s t a rting with endemics) 

5 I n i t i ate field surveys for selected endemic 

and thre atened species 

6 . P roduction of re c ove ry plans for 5 thre atened 

species 

7 . C o n s e rvation Assessment Manage m e n t 

Plan (CAMP) focused on Cheju island end 

e m i c s 

8 . C o l l ab o ration with Ko rean Gove rnment on 

d rafting of Biodive rsity Action Plan (BA P ) 

and Plant Germplasm Resources (PGR) 

s t rat egi e s 

9 . I n i t i ate assessment of Important Plant A re a s 

( I PA) 

1 0 . P roduction of KPSG Strat egy for Ko re a n 

Plant Conservat i o n 

Yong-Shik Kim, C h a i r 

E - m a i l :y s k i m 1 @ y nu c c. ye u n g n a m . a c. k r 

Fa x : 82 53 813 6470 

Species 123

M a c a ronesian Plants Specialist Gro u p 

The Macaronesian Plants Specialist Group has 

e s t ablished as its pri m a ry targe t , the revision of 

the Red List for the region. The fi rst phase has 

been the ap p l i c ation of the current cat ego ries to 

the Canary Islands fl o ra and about 2,000 

species have been assigned their new cat ego 

ries. Over 400 of these fall into the cat ego 

ries CR, EN or VU and about 35 species are 

still data deficient DD. The second task, wh i ch 

is the full documentation of each species is 

p roceeding but is a mu ch gre ater ch a l l e n ge and 

a ve ry time consuming task wh i ch we estimat e 

will need the attention of a full-time person fo r 

about two ye a rs , e s p e c i a l ly if the list is to be 

extended to the rest of the Macaronesian Region. 

We hope to re c ruit a post-gra d u ate student 

to wo rk on this in the next few months. 

The current list will, h oweve r, s e rve as a basis 

for the wo rk of the new ly established Maca 

ronesian Red List Au t h o ri t y. It will also be the 

key list for the revision of the Spanish Nat i o nal 

List of Th re atened Species and, if accep t e d 

will considerably extend the number of Can 

a rian species lega l ly protected in Spain. (Contact 

Bern a rdo Nava rro ) 

124 Species 

M e m b e rs of the Specialist Group have been 

i n s t rumental in the prep a ration of the Regi o n a l 

G e rmplasm Bank project for the Canary Islands 

and the fi rst phase of this project has 

been completed. An agreement for the fi n a n cing 

of a second 3-year phase is curre n t ly being 

n ego t i ated and should be in place in time to 

b egin in Ja nu a ry 2001. (Contact Alicia Roca). 

The Specialist Group members are part i c ip 

ating in a 1 km 2 m apping project for the regi 

o n ’s thre atened species and at the re c e n t 

E u ropean Botanical Gardens Congress contacts 

we re made with new potential members 

f rom Madeira and the A zo res with a view to 

s t rengthening rep re s e n t ation from these arch ip 

e l agos in the Specialist Group and to prep a ring 

an action plan for the region over the nex t 

t wo ye a rs. (Contacts J. Nara n j o ,D. Bra m we l l ) . 

D avid Bra m we l l

Medicinal Plant Specialist Gro u p 

The MPSG was established in 1994 in response 

to concern about the impact of trade in 

medicinal plants on conservation and sustainable 

use of these species. The number of orga 

n i z ations wo rking to promote the use of 

medicinal plants and to provide medicinal 

plant products has increased dra m at i c a l ly in recent 

ye a rs ,in nearly eve ry region of the wo rl d. 

This growth in re s e a rch ,p roduct deve l o p m e n t , 

d e m a n d, h a rve s t , t ra d e, and consumption is 

l i ke ly to continue as the costs of health care 

and maintenance increase in all societies. Promoting 

health traditions based on medicinal 

plants has become incre a s i n g ly a focus of official 

public health programmes in both deve loping 

and developed countries. New re s e a rch 

p rotocols that enable the va l i d ation and reg u l ation 

of safety and effi c a cy of herbal re m e d i e s 

s u p p o rt the growth of trade and consumption. 

Our mandate is to identify thre ats to medicinal 

plant conservat i o n ,and to promote conservation 

action. Since it’s founding in 1994, t h e 

MPSG has ach i eved many of its initial object 

ives solely on volunteer commitments and 

without concrete financial re s o u rces. We are 

c u rre n t ly wo rking to engage our members 

( c u rre n t ly ap p rox i m at e ly 70) and their institutions 

more effe c t ive ly, to develop strat egic institutional 

part n e rs h i p s , and to secure the 

financial and management re s o u rces that will 

be re q u i red to implement our programme and 

a ch i eve our broader objectives. Highlights of 

our activities during the recent triennium include 

establishment of a programme offi c e, d evelopment 

of a strat egy towa rds regional action 

plans and a global Top 50 campaign for medicinal 

plant conservat i o n , and ongoing publ i s hing 

age n d a . 

N ew Programme Office 

The MPSG has established a new progra m m e 

o ffice in Canada, hosted by the Canadian Museum 

of Nat u re. The Canadian Museum of Nat 

u re also hosts the Canadian Committee for the 

I U C N. The MPSG programme office is located 

in the Nat u ral Heri t age Building of the 

Canadian Museum of Nat u re in Ay l m e r, Q u eb 

e c. Establishment of this office will fa c i l i t at e 

p rogramme and website deve l o p m e n t , i n s t i t utional 

collab o rat i o n , and fundraising for the 

M P S G ’s global and regional activities re l at e d 

to identifi c ation and conservation of thre at e n e d 

medicinal plants. 

MPSG Progra m m e 

The MPSG logo is the Silphion, a n 

e c o n o m i c a l ly important medicinal 

plant nat ive to a region that is now 

e a s t e rn Libya. It is now extinct. Th i s 

d rawing was prep a red by Anja Seidl 

f rom a coin minted in the ancient city 

of Cyrene between 570 and 250 BC. 

Based on the response of our membership to a 

p roposed global Top 50 campaign and action 

p l a n , we are designing a broader strat egy that 

will support regional collab o ration on sustainable 

use of medicinal plants, the deve l o p m e n t 

and implementation of national and regi o n a l 

action plans, as well as a global Top 50 campaign 

for medicinal plant conservation. Th i s 

s t rat egy is linked to the SSC’s Centres of Plant 

D ive rsity initiat ive and will contri bute to the 

Red List Programme and the development of a 

medicinal plant dat abase within the Species Info 

rm ation Service of the SSC. 

Our programme consists of three major int 

egrating activ i t i e s : 

1 . C e n t res of Medicinal Plant Dive rs i t y— regional 

projects that support national and regional 

conservation strat egi e s , a c t i o n , a n d 

c apacity building within existing centers of 

medicinal plant dive rsity (defined by their 

b i o l ogical dive rs i t y, t raditional know l e d ge 

and use, t ra d e, and re s e a rch activity re l eva n t 

to medicinal plants). 

The initiat ive we propose is a part n e rship of 

i n t e rn at i o n a l , n at i o n a l , and local orga n i z ations 

curre n t ly wo rking towa rd the sustain- 

Species 125

abl e, s a fe, and effe c t ive use of medicinal 

plants and botanical products. Our objective 

is to enable more cohere n t ,e ffi c i e n t ,and effe 

c t ive collab o ration among these orga n i z ations 

in major regions of biological and 

c u l t u ral dive rs i t y, and economic, t ra d e, a n d 

institutional activity re l evant to medicinal 

plants. A concept note has been prep a red fo r 

discussion with part n e rs and donors in coll 

ab o ration with Sustainable Use of Biodive 

rsity Programme Initiat ive of the IDRC – 

the Intern ational Development Research 

C e n t re in Ottawa , Canada. We have been 

e n c o u raged to make this proposal by other 

potential part n e rs in this activ i t y, who include 

TRAFFIC Intern at i o n a l , the Intern ational 

Plant Genetic Resources Institute 

( I P G R I ) ,the Wood and Non-wood Utilization 

Bra n ch of the FAO in Rome, I t a ly; the 

People and Plants Initiat ive of W W F, U N- 

E S C O, and Kew, and Botanic Gardens Cons 

e rvation Intern ational (BGCI). We are 

c u rre n t ly developing collab o rat ive pro j e c t s 

in Central A m e rica and the Cari bbean with 

the TRAMIL (Traditional Medicine for the 

Islands) netwo rk and in the Himalayas with 

I D R C ’s Medicinal and A ro m atic Plants 

P rogramme in Asia (MAPPA) and the Pe ople 

and Plants Initiat ive of W W F. 

2 . TOP 50 Th re atened Medicinal Plants— a 

global strat egy focused on increasing the 

awa reness of highly thre atened species of 

medicinal plants wo rl dwide among the 

s t a ke h o l d e rs : the medicinal plant industry, 

c o n s u m e rs , gove rn m e n t s , and health and 

c o n s e rvation policy make rs . 

3 . Po l i cy and guidelines for sustainable use of 

medicinal plants— we are curre n t ly discussing 

with our members a proposal to 

p a rt i c i p ate in the development of cohere n t 

c o n s e rvation and sustainable use guidelines 

for medicinal plants that can contri bute to 

the implementation of intern ational tre at i e s 

( C I T E S, C B D ) , health policy (WHO), a n d 

t rade policy (WTO ) . 

126 Species 


The MPSG new s l e t t e r, Medicinal Plant Cons 

e rvat i o n , edited by Uwe Sch i p p m a n n , is dist 

ri buted to more than 500 re a d e rs wo rl dw i d e. 

The newsletter is ava i l able in print and on the 

I n t e rnet (http://elib. c s . b e rke l ey. e d u / d o c s / q u e ry. 

shtml). The sixth volume has just been publ 

i s h e d, with continuing support from the German 

Fe d e ral A ge n cy for Nat u re Conservat i o n . 

We are curre n t ly establishing an editorial board 

for the new s l e t t e r. 

Volume 1 of Medicinal Plant Conservat i o n 

B i bl i ograp hy, edited by Uwe Sch i p p m a n n ,wa s 

p u blished in 1997. It is ava i l able in print with 

an electronic dat ab a s e. It contains rev i ews of 

m o n ograp h s , b o o k s , j o u rnal art i cl e s , and gray 

l i t e rat u re on topics re l evant to medicinal plant 

c o n s e rvation. Volume 2 is in prep a rat i o n . 

The Dire c t o ry for Medicinal Plants Conservat 

i o n : N e t wo rk s , O rga n i z at i o n s , P ro j e c t s , 

I n fo rm ation Sourc e s , compiled by Max Kasp 

a rek and Uwe Schippmann (1996) is now 

ava i l able on the Internet as a search able dat abase 

(http://www. d a i n e t . d e / ge n re s / m p c - d i r ) . 

This dire c t o ry provides info rm ation on netwo 

rk s , o rga n i z at i o n s , and projects wo rl dw i d e 

dealing with re s e a rch , m a n age m e n t , p o l i cy 

making and conservation of medicinal plants. 

For further info rm at i o n , please contact: 

Danna J. Leaman, E xe c u t ive Offi c e r, M e d i c inal 

Plant Specialist Gro u p , Canadian Museum 

of Nat u re, P. O. Box 3443, S t ation D. , O t t awa , 

O n t a rio K1P 6P4 Canada. Te l :1 / 6 1 3 / 3 6 4 - 4 1 4 0 

Fa x : 1/613/364-4022; E-mail: D L E A M A N @ 

mu s - n at u re. c a 

Donna Leaman, E xe c u t ive Offi c e r

O rchid Specialist Group 

In 1997 Phillip Cri bb of the Royal Botanic 

G a rdens Kew (RBG Kew) took up the Chair of 

the Orchid Specialist Group (OSG). In 1998 

the fi rst official OSG Secre t a ri at was established 

with the help of ge n e rous funding fro m 

the A m e rican Orchid Society, RBG Kew and 

I U C N. The OSG has now been re c o n s t i t u t e d 

under the new ch a i rmanship and continues to 

grow with new, enthusiastic members bri n gi n g 

f resh life to the gro u p . 

P u bl i c ation of Orchid 

C o n s e rvation New s 

Issues 1&2 of O rchid Conservation New s , t h e 

OSG newsletter we re published in 1999. We 

h ave had a ve ry favo u rable response to this 

p u bl i c at i o n ,and the re a d e rship is gra d u a l ly inc 

re a s i n g. O rchid Conservation New s is published 

twice ye a rly. 

The 1999 Plenary Meeting 

The 1999 plenary meeting of the OSG, held in 

Va n c o u ver at the 16th Wo rld Orchid Confe rence 

was well attended and a gre at success. 

This key meeting was enthusiastically at t e n d e d 

with over 30 OSG members and 25 observe rs 

(some of whom have since become members ) . 

Some of the key issues under discussion we re 

Red Listing activ i t i e s ,d evelopment of the OSG 

S t rat egic Plan, e s t ablishment of regi o n a l 

groups and committees, and development of 

i n fo rm ation services. A summary of the minutes 

will be published in the confe rence proceedings 

and are ava i l able on request from the 

OSG Secre t a ri at . 

OSG Strat egic Plan 

The OSG re c ognises the need to have a cl e a rly 

t a rgeted five - year plan, and since the plenary 

meeting in Ap ril 1999, our Strat egic Plan has 

been deb ated and deve l o p e d. The final dra f t 

will be published in O rchid Conservat i o n 

N ew s, and is ava i l able on request from the 

OSG Secre t a ri at . 

OSG Members h i p 

M e m b e rship of the OSG has increased from 82 

to 127 individuals since the plenary meeting in 

Ap ril. Fo rt y - four countries and over 80 orga ni 

s ations and societies with conservation interests 

are rep re s e n t e d, i n cluding botanic ga rd e n s , 

h e r b a ri a , u n ive rs i t i e s , nu rs e ri e s , gove rn m e n t 

d ep a rtments and orchid societies. This nu m b e r 

is increasing as new members are invited to 

p a rt i c i p ate on a regional basis. 

OSG Regional Gro u p s 

Fo l l owing decisions made at the 1999 plenary 

m e e t i n g, we have re - s t ru c t u red the OSG by est 

ablishing a number of regional gro u p s , wh i ch 

a re now considered to be central to the success 

of the OSG. By acting as cat a lysts for our act 

ivities at a local leve l , similar ex p e riences can 

be share d, m e m b e rs can meet on a reg u l a r 

b a s i s ,links can be fo rmed with other orga n i s ations 

that have similar interests in the regi o n , 

and local gove rnment can be more effe c t ive ly 

i n fluenced when necessary. 

The fo l l owing regional groups have been 

e s t abl i s h e d : 

Species 127

• N o rth A m e rica (Chair: M a ri lyn Light, U n ive 

rsity of Ottawa , also President and Cons 

e rvation Chair of the Canadian Orch i d 

C o n gre s s ) 

The North A m e rican Regional OSG 

( NA ROSG) is curre n t ly focussing effo rts on 

e s t ablishing five fl agship species to rep resent 

the region. Mari lyn Light also runs a 

ve ry live ly Internet discussion group Orch 

i d S a fa ri (http://www. o rch i d s a fa ri . o rg ) . 

• South A m e rica (Chair: A l exander Hirt z , 

P re s i d e n t ,L atin A m e rican Orchid Council; 

C o - ch a i r, Pe d ro J. Mart i n e z , E d i t o r, 

O rq u i d e o p h i l o ) 

The fi rst meeting of the South A m e ri c a n 

R egional OSG (SAROSG) was held at 

M u e s t ro Mundial de Orq u i d e a s , C a l i , 

Colombia in November 1999, wh e re initial 

discussions took place on future activities of 

the group. The meeting was well at t e n d e d, 

and many important issues we re discussed. 

S eve ral new members of the OSG are being 

re c ru i t e d, and an action plan for the regi o n 

is under development. A meeting of the 

South A m e rican and Meso-American regional 

groups is scheduled to take place in 

C a ra c a s ,Ve n e z u e l a ,M a rch 2001. 

• Indian Subcontinent (Chair: Udai C. Pra dhan; 

Secre t a ry :Ms Hemlata Pra d h a n ,P ri mulaceae 

Books) 

The Indian Subcontinent Regional OSG 

( I S ROSG) has held a ve ry successful fi rs t 

meeting in the shape of a fo u r- d ay confe rence 

hosted by the Tropical Botanic Gard e n 

and Research Institute, Pa cha Pa l o d e, 

Th i ru va n a n t h p u ra m , Ke ra l a , India. A second 

meeting has been organised to take 

place in the fi rst week of October 2000. Th e 

I S ROSG has also re c e n t ly collab o rated with 

CBSG India (Conservation Breeding Specialist 

Group) in an orchid CAMP (Conservation 

Assessment and Manage m e n t 

Planning Wo rkshop) in the We s t e rn Ghat s . 

• Au s t ralasia and Tropical Asia (Chair: 

K i n g s l ey Dixon; Secre t a ry :Russell Barre t t , 

Kings Pa rk and Botanic Gard e n ) 

128 Species 

The OSG is co-organising the 1st Intern ational 

Orchid Conservation Congre s s , to be 

hosted by Kings Pa rk and Botanic Gard e n 

in September 2001. 

• A f ro - M a d agascar (Chair: B e at rice Khayota; 

Co-Chair: B e n ny Bytebier; Secre t a ry : 

G e o rge Muga m b i , East A f rica Herbari u m , 

N ational Museums of Ke nya ) 

The A f ro - M a d agascar Regional OSG (AM- 

ROSG) is curre n t ly in the process of rec 

ruiting new members for the gro u p . 

• East Asia (Co-Chairs : L aw rence Chau and 

G l o ria Siu, K a d o o rie Fa rm and Botanic 

G a rden; Secre t a ry : Luo Yi - b o , Institute of 

B o t a ny, Chinese A c a d e my of Science) 

The East Asian Regional OSG (EARO S G ) 

is collab o rating with the Chinese CITES 

M a n agement Au t h o rity on the establ i s hment 

of a netwo rk of accredited orch i d 

nu rs e ries to help reduce demand for wild 

collected plants. In addition they are wo rking 

on the production of an educat i o n a l 

poster to raise awa reness about the importance 

of the conservation of orchids and orchid 

ri ch hab i t at s . 

Ex situ C o n s e rvation Gro u p 

An ex situ C o n s e rvation Group has been establ 

i s h e d, ch a i red by Philip Seat o n , seed tech n o logy 

ex p e rt , UK. The main roles of this 

committee are to establish a global netwo rk of 

o rchid seed banks, c re ate a dat abase of info rm 

ation on orchid species ge rmplasm held in ex 

situ collections, p romote the ex ch a n ge of orchid 

ge rmplasm amongst growe rs , p a rt i c u l a rly 

of thre atened species, and provide advice on 

methods of seed storage and orchid pro p agation 

for conservation purposes. Issue 3 of O rchid 

Conservation New s will include an art i cl e 

about recent advances in orchid seed storage 

and will include a questionnaire to act as a 

s t a rting point for the establishment of an intern 

ational netwo rk of orchid seed banks. 

E d u c ation Committee 

Ned Nash (Head of Conservat i o n , A m e ri c a n 

O rchid Society) is Chair of the OSG Educat i o n 

Committee and we are now in the process of

e c ruiting OSG members to sit on this important 

board. One of the roles of the Educat i o n 

Committee will be to produce and endorse edu 

c ational mat e rials on orchid conservat i o n ,i ncluding 

the publ i c ation of a Code of Conduct 

for Orchid Growe rs and Collectors , and a travelling 

slide pack for orchid conservation lect 

u re s . 

The 1st Intern ational Orchid 

C o n s e rvation Congre s s 

The OSG is collab o rating with Kings Pa rk and 

Botanic Garden (KPBG), Botanic Gard e n s 

C o n s e rvation Intern ational (BGCI) and the 

Au s t ralian Netwo rk for Plant Conservat i o n 

(ANPC) in staging the 1st Intern ational Orch i d 

C o n s e rvation Congress (incorp o rating the 2nd 

I n t e rn ational Orchid Po p u l ation Biology Confe 

re n c e ) ,in Pe rt h , We s t e rn Au s t ra l i a , S ep t e mber 

2001. 

The Congress will bring together for the 

fi rst time, o rchid conservation specialists, res 

e a rch e rs and pra c t i t i o n e rs , to develop an 

u n d e rstanding of global issues in orchid cons 

e rvation. The Congress will cover topics 

i n cluding phy l oge ny of the Orch i d a c e a e, p o pu 

l ation biology, p o l l i n ation biology, p ro p agation 

science, ge rmplasm storage, c o n s e rvat i o n 

genetics and taxonomy with opportunities fo r 

specialist wo rkshops in orchid conservat i o n 

t e chniques and orchid re c ove ry progra m s . 

Red List Updat e s 

The OSG acts as a Red List Au t h o rity for the 

O rch i d a c e a e. Existing orchid Red List data is 

p rovided to regional group ch a i rs , and the list 

u p d ated on a regional basis. The OSG Exe c ut 

ive Officer acts as the Red List focal point fo r 

the OSG, liasing with the IUCN Red List Progra 

m m e. 

SIS Te s t i n g 

The OSG part i c i p ated in the testing of the 

IUCN SSC Species Info rm ation Serv i c e. Th i s 

p resented an opportunity for the OSG to begi n 

the process of collating data to update Th e 

1997 IUCN Red List of Th re atened Plants. 

OSG Meetings 

The next plenary meeting of the OSG will be 

held at the 17th Wo rld Orchid Confe rence in 

M a l ay s i a ,2002. An interim meeting will however 

be held at the Fi rst Intern ational Orch i d 

C o n s e rvation Congress in Pe rt h , Au s t ra l i a , 

S eptember 2001. Regional group meetings are 

also held at least on an annual basis. 

OSG Mailing List 

The OSG operates an email list-server fo r 

c o m mu n i c ation between members. RBG Kew 

hosts this. 

OSG Membership Dat ab a s e 

The OSG Secre t a ri at manages its own memb 

e rship dat abase to ensure that re c o rds are kep t 

a c c u rat e ly and up-to-dat e. The dat abase also 

contains info rm ation about the area of ex p e rtise 

of each member, and lists projects they are 

i nvo l ved with. 

L ogo 

The OSG now has a striking new logo designed 

by one of its members , Philip Seat o n , 

also Chair of the Ex Situ C o n s e rvation Gro u p . 

F u n d i n g 

The OSG Secre t a ri at has re c e n t ly re c e ived a 

d o n ation from the 16th Wo rld Orchid Confe rence 

Organising Committee to continue operation 

of the Secre t a ri at. A number of small 

d o n ations have also been grat e f u l ly re c e ive d 

f rom a number of orchid societies in Canada 

and the USA. We are curre n t ly in the pro c e s s 

of drawing up proposals for further funding to 

e n s u re we have continuing support for the 

coming IUCN triennium (2000-2003). 

S h e l agh Ke l l , E xe c u t ive Offi c e r 

E - m a i l :s h e l ag h . ke l l @ d i a l . p i p ex . c o m 

Te l / Fa x :44 1297 444542 

Species 129

P t e ri d o p hyte Specialist Gro u p 

The Pteri d o p hyte (Fe rns and Allied Plants) 

Specialist Group has seen the prep a ration of a 

C o n s e rvation Status Rep o rt and Action Plan as 

its main objective over the last three ye a rs. Des 

c ri p t ive accounts on the fe rn fl o ras of Pap u a 

N ew Guinea and SE A s i a , C h i n a , Indian subc 

o n t i n e n t ,Jap a n , the Pa c i fic Islands (incl u d i n g 

H awa i i ) , Atlantic Islands, Au s t ra l a s i a , S o u t he 

rn A f ri c a , E u rope and the Mediterra n e a n 

s e ab o a rd and North A m e rica (U. S.A. and 

Canada) have been prep a red and are being rev 

i ewed and rev i s e d. Data for South and Centra l 

A m e rica and the Cari bbean is being acquire d 

but it must be accepted that these areas are not 

well cove red for fe rns. Similarly East and We s t 

A f rica and for Indian Ocean islands and we are 

wo rking with Regional or Country SGs to attain 

some pteri d o p hyte cove rage. 

One element in the Action Plan is to show 

wh e re practical conservation is not only proposed 

but wh e re possibl e, a l re a dy in place. It 

was agreed that a confe rence of intern at i o n a l 

fe rn wo rke rs brought together with active cons 

e rvationists including park and other pro t e c t e d 

a rea manage rs would not only improve netwo 

rking as proposed in the SSC Strat egy bu t 

would also move the Action Plan programme a 

s i g n i fi c a n t ly towa rds completion. So when in 

e a rly 1999 the British Pteri d o l ogical Society 

p roposed they organise an Intern ational Symposium 

in Guildfo rd, U.K. in Ju ly 2001, o n 

Fe rn Flora Wo rl dw i d e :Th re ats and Responses 

in conjunction with SSC, the Group we l c o m e d 

the idea. An interesting programme is planned 

i nvolving highlighting the pteri d o p hyte ‘ h o t - 

s p o t s ’ , discussing conservation biology techniques 

(including molecular studies to defi n e 

p ri o rities in taxonomic groups and in relict geographic 

are a s , the role of botanic ga rdens and 

e ffe c t iveness of re - i n t ro d u c t i o n s ,s p o re and gam 

e t o p hyte cryo - s t o rage, amongst others. Funds 

a re being sought specifi c a l ly to help delegat e s 

f rom developing countries to at t e n d. 

We welcome the ch a n ges taking place to est 

ablish an SSC Species Dat abase and are setting 

up the necessary specialists to adv i s e. 

130 Species 

Wo rk has begun on revising the Red List of 

P t e ri d o p hytes and critical assessments are 

being made with rega rd to the taxonomy espec 

i a l ly of endemic species. We encourage symposia 

on special groups and the wo rk of 

IUCN/SSC was presented to a Confe rence on 

Q u i l lwo rts (Isoetes) in Georgi a , U. S. A . , i n 

M a rch 2000, when the status of North A m e rican 

thre atened species was discussed according 

to the new cri t e ri a . 

A dvice was given to CITES Plant Committee 

on tre e - fe rn trade studies and we commented 

on proposed ch a n ges to Appendix 2. We 

c o n t i nue to monitor trade in pteri d o p hytes 

welcomed the de-listing of Au s t ralasian Dicks 

o n i a s , an excellent fl ag-ship species for promoting 

fe rns. We also inve s t i gated (and 

a l l ayed) the potential thre ats to nat u ral populations 

of the Resurrection Plant (S e l agi n e l l a 

l ep i d o p hy l l a) . 

I n fo rm ation on endemic fe rns in fo re s t 

h ab i t ats throughout the wo rl d, re s e a rched fo r 

W C M C / FAO with the help of regional pterid 

o l ogi s t s , fo rmed a useful baseline for action 

p l a n n i n g. 

Due to David Give n ’s increased wo rk l o a d, 

both pers o n a l ly and because of his holding the 

Chair of the SSC Plant Conservation Committ 

e e, it has been proposed to spread the leadership 

role of the Group between Tom Ranke r 

( B o u l d e r, C o l o ra d o , USA) and Clive Je rmy 

(UK). The Group will now re s t ru c t u re its 

m e m b e rship and is making effo rts to find act 

ive pteri d o l ogists in each Region. A dat ab a s e 

of pteri d o l ogists in each country / s t ate is being 

e s t ablished with the help of the Intern at i o n a l 

A s s o c i ation of Pteri d o l ogists. David will cont 

i nue to mastermind the Action Plan and a 

n ew s l e t t e r- c u m - web site editor is being sought. 

We are acutely awa re of the need to netwo rk 

with country Specialist Groups (and Biodive rsity 

groups wh e re they exist) and with the 

W C PA and protected area manage rs. 

D avid Give n , C h a i r 

C l ive Je rmy, D eputy Chair

C o n s e rvation Breeding Specialist Gro u p 

S u m m a ry of A c t ivities (1997-1999) 


CBSG curre n t ly has a membership of 916 ind 

ividuals from 93 countries. 

Funding Base 

CBSG is now supported by ap p rox i m at e ly 153 

donor institutions and orga n i z at i o n s ,c o m p ri sing 

the CBSG Institutional Conservat i o n 

Council. Contri butions ra n ge from $25 to 

$25,000 per year with a total annual donor 

funding base ave raging more than $300,000 

year and re a ching $348,930 in 1999. A dd i t i o nal 

funding is obtained for each individual 

p roject with the goal of making projects selfs 

u p p o rted including core costs. The total annual 

cash bu d get now exceeds $600,000 and fo r 

the three ye a rs exceeded 1.5 million dollars . 

Our in-kind support during this time is estim 

ated at more than 3 times this amount based 

upon time commitments, s e l f - s u p p o rted part i ci 

p at i o n , wo rkshop support by orga n i ze rs , a n d 

other donations. All of these funds are admini 

s t e red by a tax-free fo u n d ation and are ex t e rn 

a l ly audited each ye a r. 

N ew s l e t t e rs 

The CBSG Donor New s was published seve n 

times in 1997-1999 fe at u ring brief summari e s 

of recent wo rkshop results and special fo c u s 

s t o ries on individual zoos and other collab o rating 

orga n i z ations. A donor insert includes a 

fe at u re art i cle on a major institutional donor, a 

list of all wo rkshop participants since the last 

i s s u e, a list of new and increasing donors and 

the complete donor list. The CBSG D o n o r 

N ew s in 1999 fe at u red brief summaries of recent 

wo rkshop results and special focus stori e s 

on Durrell Wi l d l i fe Conservation Trust and the 

Wo rld Zoo Orga n i z ation. The proceedings of 

e a ch ye a r ’s CBSG A n nual Intern at i o n a l M e e ting 

are published in December’s issue. 

P ro d u c t s 

A total of 115 documents have been pro d u c e d 

by CBSG since Ja nu a ry 1997. These are ava i lable 

from the CBSG offi c e. 

Wo rkshops and Meetings 

CBSG conducted and/or part i c i p ated in 153 

wo rkshops/meetings involving about 3,000 

Species 131

d i ffe rent biologists and stake h o l d e rs duri n g 

this period including 20 fo rmal Po p u l ation and 

H ab i t at Vi ability Assessment (PHVA) wo rks 

h o p s , nine PHVA Planning Meetings, t e n 


Plan (CAMP) wo rk s h o p s , nine Regional Zoo 

A s s o c i ation Meetings, 68 Special Intere s t 

M e e t i n g s , five CAMP Planning Meeting, 1 2 

Zoo Conservation Planning Meetings, five int 

e rn ational orga n i z ation Futures Searches and 

C o n s e rvation Planning Wo rk s h o p s , five gi a n t 

p a n d a - re l ated pro j e c t s , nine CBSG Fa c i l i t at e d 

Wo rk s h o p s , six Strat egic Planning Meetings 

and four Research Projects/Meetings. 

P H VA Vi d e o 

Thanks to a ge n e rous donation from Sea Wo rl d 

of Flori d a , p roduction of a CBSG wo rk s h o p 

video was completed in early 1999. CBSG, 

with the donated ex p e rtise of videograp h e r 

D avid Po l l a ck ,M e l b o u rne Zoo, c re ated an int 

ro d u c t o ry, i n fo rm at ive video for anyone interested 

in convening a CBSG wo rkshop. Fo o t age 

for the video was shot at the Tree Kanga ro o 

C A M P / P H VA held in Lae, Papua New Guinea 

Au g u s t - S eptember 1998. The video is designed 

to convey the sense of a CBSG wo rkshop 

by demonstrating the social/collab o rat ive 

aspects as well the strong scientific base. Th i s 

video conveys the elements of how to conduct 

a PHVA wo rkshop not by instructing in detail 

“ h ow to” but by showing the running of an actual 

wo rkshop. CBSG provides a copy of the 

video and an accompanying manual to potential 

conve n e rs who may then choose to show it 

to funders , w i l d l i fe age n cy rep re s e n t at ive s , b io 

l ogi s t s , the academic commu n i t y, e t c. Th e 

video assists in the ga rn e ring of support fo r, a s 

well as in the orga n i z ation of, a PHVA wo rks 

h o p 

P rogress on the Incorp o ration of 

Human Demographic Data into the 

P H VA Pro c e s s 

CBSG is committed to finding ways to better 

i n c o rp o rate the needs and issues of va ri o u s 

s t a ke h o l d e rs into PHVA processes. Po p u l at i o n 

and Hab i t at Vi ability Assessment or PHVA , i s 

an intense species risk assessment process in- 

132 Species 

volving dive rse part i c i p ation by all intere s t e d 

p a rties showing a stake in the development of 

m a n agement plans for the species or populat i o n 

in question. A PHVA rep resents a bro a d e n i n g 

of the traditional methodology to incorp o rate as 

mu ch info rm ation as possible on the fo c a l 

s p e c i e s ,its hab i t at ,and the ways in wh i ch local 

human populations impact this focal species 

and its surroundings. CBSG and their collab orat 

o rs are re fining this ap p ro a ch further to provide 

an explicit interface through wh i ch 

detailed data on local re s o u rce utilization by 

human populations can be tra n s l ated into info rm 

ation suitable for demographic and ge n e t i c 

modeling of wildlife population viab i l i t y. 

With the help of a re s e a rch grant fro m 

SSHRC (Social Science and Humanities Res 

e a rch Council of Canada), C B S G, in collab oration 

with a team of social scientists headed 

by Frances We s t l ey, of McGill Unive rs i t y, 

C a n a d a , has embarked on a three year pro j e c t 

designed to develop tools and methods for better 

inclusion of social science data and stakeholder 

groups in CBSG processes. The pro j e c t 

has three fo c i : c re ating an interface betwe e n 

human demographic models and data and Vo rt 

ex; developing a protocol for the inclusion of 

i n d u s t rial and local stake h o l d e rs in the PHVA 

p ro c e s s , when ap p ro p ri ate; inve s t i gating and 

ex p e rimenting with the incorp o ration of part i ci 

p at o ry techniques wh i ch allow local people 

gre ater input into the PHVA process. Funding 

has allowed ex p e ri m e n t ation with tools and 

p rocesses in the cre ation of an expanded and 

s t rengthened PHVA process. We s t l ey and her 

n ew ly fo rmed netwo rk have met six times and 

conducted a series of case studies duri n g 

P H VA processes for the mountain go ri l l a 

P H VA (Uga n d a ) , Pe a ry ’s caribou (Canada), 

mu riqui (Bra z i l ) , t ree kanga roos (Papua New 

G u i n e a ) ,E a s t e rn Slope gri z z ly bear (Canada), 

and the A l gonquin Pa rk wolf populat i o n 

(Canada). In add i t i o n ,We s t l ey and V re d e n bu rg 

a re wo rking with Ulie Seal and the rest of the 

N e t wo rk members to produce a book detailing 

the elements of an expanded pro c e s s ,with case 

studies drawn from each of the wo rk s h o p s 

mentioned ab ove.

Zoo Conservation Planning 

C B S G ’s fi rst North A m e rican collab o ration in 

a systematic process for institutional conservation 

planning was undert a ken at the Minnesota 

Zoo in 1998. By the end of year 2000, C B S G 

will have assisted in the development of cons 

e rvation plans at : M i n n e s o t a , Saint Louis, 

H o u s t o n ,To ro n t o , C a l ga ry, H e a l e s v i l l e, Pe rt h , 

L iving Desert , and Shedd A q u a rium. Th i s 

p rocess has broad goals. An institution-based 

c o n s e rvation plan offe rs the orga n i z ation the 

o p p o rtunity to develop explicit conservat i o n 

goals and objectives and to identify the specific 

action steps necessary to ach i eve these obj 

e c t ives. The plan can serve as a ve h i cle fo r 

p u blic info rm ation and re c og n i t i o n , as the ins 

t i t u t i o n ’s documented fo rmal commitment to 

c o n s e rvation programs and funding, as a basis 

for development of an institutional conservation 

“ c u l t u re,” and as a guide for ch o o s i n g 

c o m p l i m e n t a ry intern ational programs to supp 

o rt. Each institution’s product is an action 

plan that includes the assignment of re s p o n s ib 

i l i t i e s , t i m e l i n e s , m e a s u rable outcomes and 

p ri o rities. A key outcome is the ow n e rship of 

the product by the participants since it is a reflection 

of their own unique philosophy and 

p e rs p e c t ive. 

F u t u res Searches and Conservat i o n 

Planning with Intern ational 

O rga n i z at i o n s 

We have assisted and are assisting in the des 

i g n , o rga n i z at i o n , and fa c i l i t ation of future s 

and planning wo rkshops with the: B i o d ive rs i t y 

C o n s e rvation Info rm ation System (BCIS), 

Species Surv ival Commission (SSC), Wo rl d 

C o n s e rvation Union (IUCN), the National Marine 

Fi s h e ries Service (NMFS), Au s t ra l a s i a n 

R egional A s s o c i ation of Zoological Pa rks and 

A q u a riums (ARAZPA ) ,I S I S, and the Reintroduction 

Specialist Group. These wo rk s h o p s 

we re part of an ongoing process as these orga 

n i z ations seek to redesign themselves to 

meet the conservation ch a l l e n ges of the nex t 

decade and the shifts in funding pri o rities that 

a re occurring in response to perc e ived global 

human needs in the context of env i ro n m e n t a lly 

sustainable and just societies. We are continuing 

to wo rk with the SSC in its planning 

p rocess. 

CAMP Taxon Data Sheet 

M a n agement Info rm ation System 


Plans (CAMPs) provide strat egic guidance fo r 

assessing pri o rities for intensive manage m e n t , 

sometimes including cap t ive bre e d i n g, w i t h i n 

the context of the broader conservation needs 

of thre atened taxa. CBSG has conducted ove r 

40 CAMP wo rkshops assessing more than 

5,000 taxa. 

The latest innovation to this program is the 

CAMP Taxon Data Sheet Management Info rm 

ation System. The ap p l i c ation operates within 

Microsoft Access 97, p a rt of Micro s o f t ’s 

O ffice 97 Pro fessional Suite of progra m s , a n d 

is ex t re m e ly user fri e n d ly. Once the data are 

e n t e red at a CAMP wo rkshop they are merge d 

with the master dat ab a s e. Updates of this dat abase 

will be reg u l a rly distri buted to all ISIS institutions 

via the REGASP progra m . 

This computeri zed dat abase system is both 

s p e c i fic and fl ex i bl e, a l l owing entry of wide 

va riety of detailed info rm ation that can be accessed 

and re t ri eved in response to specifi c 

q u e ries. The computer program also fa c i l i t at e s 

the rapid and accurate production of CAMP rep 

o rts. Most import a n t ly, it links CAMP info rm 

ation to global systems such as REGASP 

t h e reby allowing easy access to CAMP info rm 

ation by the zoo commu n i t y, re s e a rch e rs and 

s c i e n t i s t s . 

CBSG Wo rld Wide Web Site 

The CBSG Web site (WWW. C B S G. O R G ) 

c o n t i nues to be updated and ex p a n d e d. 

S t a ff 

The CBSG staff, at the end of 1999, consists of 

t h ree pro fessional program offi c e rs—all with 

Ph.Ds (Susie Ellis, Onnie Bye rs , and Phil 

Miller) and two support staff (Shelly O’Bri e n 

and Je n n i fer Shillcox). After 18 months as 

C B S G ’s administrat ive assistant, Je n n a 

B o rova n s ky, re t u rned to gra d u ate school at 

Yale Unive rsity in 1998 and has since completed 

her master’s degre e. 

Ulie Seal, C h a i r 

Species 133

I nva s ive Species Specialist Gro u p 

The past year has seen major progress by the 

IUCN/SSC Inva s ive Species Specialist Gro u p 

in seve ral are a s . 

Fi rs t ly, and most import a n t ly, the I U C N 

Guidelines for the Prevention of Biodive rs i t y 

Loss caused by Alien Inva s ive Species we re 

fo rm a l ly adopted by the IUCN Council in Febru 

a ry 2000. These guidelines have had a long 

evolution over more than four ye a rs and have 

b e n e fited from the input of many ISSG memb 

e rs. Th ey are designed to help countri e s , c o ns 

e rvation agencies and concerned indiv i d u a l s 

to reduce the thre ats posed by inva s ive species 

to global biodive rs i t y, and they are alre a dy 

being quoted and used. The guidelines we re 

p u blished (in English) in May 2000 and we re 

d i s t ri buted at the 5th Confe rence of the Pa rt i e s 

to the Convention on Biological Dive rs i t y. 

Copies we re sent to all ISSG members and 

IUCN Members. We hope to publish them in 

other language s , as funds permit. The full tex t 

of the guidelines is ava i l able on the IUCN 

Website at : h t t p : / / i u c n . o rg / t h e m e s / s s c / p u b s / 

p o l i cy / i nva s ive s E n g. h t m 

S e c o n d ly, ISSG has continued to help with 

I U C N ’s contri butions to the Global Inva s ive 

Species Programme (GISP). Our effo rts have 

c o n c e n t rated especially on the ongoing design 

of a global dat abase and “ e a rly wa rning syst 

e m ” for alien inva s ive species. This wo rk has 

been conducted mainly by Sarah Lowe, w i t h 

the help of seve ral ISSG members. From Febru 

a ry 2000 Sarah was helped by Mich a e l 

B row n e, who joined the ISSG staff to assist 

with dat abase wo rk in the lead up to the GISP 

Synthesis Meeting in Cape Town in Sep t e m b e r 

2 0 0 0 ,when we presented our results and plans. 

We will rep o rt on the design and future deve lopment 

of the dat abase in a later issue of 

S p e c i e s . 

134 Species 

Th i rd ly, ISSG has active ly part i c i p ated in 

s eve ral intern ational meetings, wh e re alien inva 

s ive issues we re discussed. These have included 

the Global Biodive rsity Fo rum (GBF) 

in Costa Rica and the Regional GBF in Sri 

L a n k a , at wh i ch ISSG co-organised wo rk s h o p 

sessions on alien inva s ive species, and the 

Ramsar Confe rence of Pa rties. The Feb ru a ry 

2000 meeting in Montre a l ,C a n a d a , of the Convention 

on Biological Dive rs i t y ’s Subsidiary 

B o dy on Te chnical and Te ch n o l ogical A dv i c e 

i n cluded a major focus on alien species; it wa s 

attended by Mick Clout, Maj De Po o rter and 

s eve ral ISSG members . 

Fi n a l ly, the ISSG itself has continued to 

grow and develop. Membership now stands at 

120 and we have four staff at our office in 

Au ck l a n d. These are Maj De Po o rter (netwo rk 

c o o rd i n at o r ) ,S a rah Lowe (dat abase coord i n at 

o r ) , M i chael Browne (dat abase ex p e rt) and 

C a rola Wa rner (part time secre t a ry). Our 

AliensL listserver now has over 500 subs 

c ri b e rs and is a daily active fo rum for discussion 

on all sorts of issues to do with inva s ive 

species. Late in 1999 we established a European 

section under the leadership of Piero 

G e n ove s i , to initially concentrate part i c u l a rly 

on inva s ive ve rt eb rates such as ru ddy duck s 

and grey squirrels (wh i ch thre aten to ex p a n d 

b eyond nort h e rn Italy unless era d i c ated ve ry 

soon). In 2000 we established a North A m e rican 

section of ISSG, under the leadership of 

Faith Campbell. Next year we will be ru n n i n g 

our fi rst intern ational confe rence (on the subject 

of “ E ra d i c ation of Island Inva s ives”). Th i s 

will be held in late Feb ru a ry 2001 in Au ck l a n d, 

N ew Zealand, and is being organised for ISSG 

by Dick Ve i t ch. 

M i ck Clout, C h a i r

R e - i n t roduction Specialist Gro u p 

The Re-introduction Specialist Gro u p ’s (RSG) 

o rga n i z ational stru c t u re consists of a Chair, 

Vi c e - C h a i r, Section Chairs rep resenting va rious 

taxa (plants, a q u atic mammals, b i rd s , 

c a rn ivo re s , p ri m at e s , i nve rt eb rat e s , rep t i l e s / 

amphibians and fish) and thematic areas (hab it 

at re s t o ration and Au s t ra l a s i a / m a rs u p i a l s ) . 

Th e re is also a secre t a ri at that coord i n ates the 

a c t ivities of RSG on a daily basis. The RSG 

c u rre n t ly has over 300 members in over 50 

c o u n t ries wo rl dwide and a subscription list fo r 

its newsletter wh i ch is sent to an additional 200 

i n d ividuals and orga n i z ations wo rl dw i d e. 

I n fo rm ation Disseminat i o n 

N ew s l e t t e r : The RSG publishes and distri butes 

its bi-annual new s l e t t e r, R e - i n t ro d u c t i o n 

N ew s , of wh i ch six issues (No. 13-18) have 

been printed and distri buted in the past tri e n n ium. 

Issue No. 17 focused ex cl u s ive ly on reptiles/amphibian 

re - i n t roductions and No. 18 on 

c a rn ivo re re - i n t roductions and we re funded by 

the To ronto Zoo, Canada and Tu rner Endange 

red Species Fund, USA re s p e c t ive ly. Issue 

No. 19 is ex cl u s ive ly on bird re - i n t ro d u c t i o n s 

and is curre n t ly under prep a ration and is being 

funded by the National Commission fo r 

Wi l d l i fe Conservation and Deve l o p m e n t 

( N C W C D ) ,Saudi A rab i a . 

R e - i n t roduction Pra c t i t i o n e rs Dire c t o ry : 

The RSG also produced the Re-intro d u c t i o n 

P ra c t i t i o n e rs Dire c t o ry 1998, wh i ch lists both 

animal and plant re - i n t roduction pra c t i t i o n e rs . 

This dire c t o ry provides contact add resses fo r 

both orga n i z ations and personnel invo l ved in 

re - i n t roduction projects. The dire c t o ry was a 

joint project between the RSG and Nat i o n a l 

Commission for Wi l d l i fe Conservation and 

D evelopment (NCWCD), Saudi A rabia wh o 

p rovided funding for compilation and pri n t i n g. 

Guidelines 

Th e re we re two major ach i evements this tri e nnium 

involving the Guidelines for Re-introduction 

and Guidelines for the Placement of 

L ive Confi s c ated A n i m a l s . 

Species 135

Guidelines for Re-intro d u c t i o n s : These became 

official IUCN policy in May 1995 and 

h ave since been tra n s l ated into five add i t i o n a l 

l a n g u ages (Fre n ch , S p a n i s h , C h i n e s e, A rab i c, 

and Russian). Th ey we re also printed into 

booklet fo rm and ex t e n s ive ly distri bu t e d 

wo rl dw i d e. These booklets have been a success 

and they are being ex t e n s ive ly used in 

planning re - i n t roduction projects all over the 

wo rld and are also ava i l able in English, Fre n ch 

and Spanish on the W W W. 

Guidelines for the Placement of Live Confi 

s c ated A n i m a l s :These guidelines we re also 

ap p roved by IUCN in 2000. These guidelines 

we re developed after an ex t e n s ive rev i ew 

p rocess extending over seve ral ye a rs. Th ey 

p rovide placement options for live animals, 

wh i ch are confi s c ated from illegal or irreg u l a r 

t ra d e. 

The Guidelines for Re-introductions in Engl 

i s h , Fre n ch and Spanish and the re c e n t ly app 

roved Guidelines for the Placement of Live 

C o n fi s c ated Animals can be accessed at the 

fo l l owing URL: < w w w. i u c n . o rg / t h e m e s / s s c / 

p rogra m s / rs g. h t m > . 

P romoting Vi able Re-intro d u c t i o n s 

The RSG has part i c i p ated in va rious intern ational 

meetings and confe rences wh e re 

keynote pre s e n t ations and scientific pap e rs 

h ave been presented on re - i n t roductions. Th e 

RSG has also part i c i p ated in meetings of other 

136 Species 

specialist groups such as the Crocodile Specialist 

Group and Conservation Breeding 

Specialist Group as it is keen to develop netwo 

rking between the va rious specialist gro u p s . 

The RSG is also wo rking on the Planning 

P rotocols for Vi able Re-introductions wh i ch 

aim to develop a user- f ri e n d ly ap p ro a ch to enable 

re - i n t roduction pra c t i t i o n e rs to assess, 

plan and implement re - i n t roduction pro j e c t s . 

The current guidelines are basically a policy 

document but the Planning Protocols for Viable 

Re-introductions will enable a re - i n t roduction 

practitioner to wo rk through the 

va rious stages of a re - i n t roduction project fro m 

assessment to implementat i o n . 

F u t u re 

The RSG has moved location from the A f ri c a n 

Wi l d l i fe Fo u n d ation (AW F ) , N a i ro b i , Ke nya 

to the Env i ronmental Research and Wi l d l i fe 

D evelopment A ge n cy (ERW DA ) ,A bu Dhab i , 

United A rab Emirates (UAE) wh e re the new 

incoming RSG Chair, Fre d e ric Launay is based 

( F l a u n ay @erwda.gov. a e ) . 

The RSG Secre t a ri at will now be based at 

E nv i ronmental Research and Wi l d l i fe Deve lopment 

A ge n cy (ERW DA ) , P. O. Box 45553, 

A bu Dhab i , United A rab Emirates (UAE). 

P ritpal S. Soora e, 

Senior Conservation Offi c e r 

E - m a i l :P S o o ra e @ e r w d a . gov. a e

S u s t a i n able Use Specialist Gro u p 

Meetings of the Exe c u t ive 

C o m m i t t e e 

Since the fi rst Wo rld Conservation Congre s s , 

the SUSG Exe c u t ive Committee has met on a 

regular basis ge n e ra l ly via monthly teleconfe re 

n c e, to discuss management and strat egic development 

of the Specialist Group. Th e 

E xe c u t ive Committee is comprised of the fo ll 

owing members : John Robinson; George 

R abb, M a rshall Murp h re e, D avid Bra ckett (ex 

o fficio as SSC Chair), and Steve Edwa rds (ex 

o fficio as Head of IUCN’s Sustainable Use Init 

i at ive ) . 

In addition to attendance at these meetings 

m e m b e rs of the Exe c u t ive attended and rep resented 

the SUSG/SUI at the fo l l owing IUCN 

m e e t i n g s : 

• The SSC Steering Committee held in 

G l a n d, Ap ril 1997, 

• the SSC Steering Committee held in Bra z i l 

in June 1998, 

• the 50th A n n ive rs a ry IUCN meeting in 

Fo n t a i n ebl e a u , N ovember 1998, 

• the March 1999 Gland Wo rkshop on Sust 

a i n able Use, 

• the SSC Strat egic Planning Wo rkshop held 

in Tunisia in March 1999, 

• the IUCN Sustainable Use A dv i s o ry Gro u p 

meeting held in Gland, Feb ru a ry 2000, a n d 

• the SSC Strat egic Planning Wo rkshop held 

in March 2000. 

Meetings of the Steering Committee 

C o m p rised of all regional ch a i rs and members 

of the Exe c u t ive, the Steering Committee of 

the SUSG has met three times: in Ap ril 1997 in 

M a l aysia; in June 1988 in Guatemala; and in 

Ju ly 1999 in Flori d a , USA. Meetings of the 

S t e e ring Committee have : 

• p rovided an important sense of corp o rat e 

global identity and legi t i m a cy for the 

S U S G, 

• s t rengthened cro s s - regional insights 

t h rough the comparat ive ex p e riences of the 

ch a i rs ,and 

• h ave been an important nexus for the re l ationship 

between the SUSG and the SUI, 

whose staff act as the Global Support Te a m 

(GST) for the SUSG. 

S t atus and Leaders h i p , R S U S G s 

B rief rep o rts on the status and activities of the 

RSUSGs fo l l ow : 

• Andean SUSG: Luis Guillermo Bap t i s t e 

was appointed Chair in 1998. A state of the 

a rt rev i ew was commissioned short ly therea 

f t e r. An initial meeting was held in December 

1999, with the goal of defining a 

wo rk plan and identifying potential memb 

e rs. 

• C e n t ral A m e rica SUSG: M a ria Jose Gonzalez 

is Chair. Seve ral netwo rk meetings we re 

held during the quadrennium. An ove rv i ew 

of the state of the art of sustainable use in 

the region was commissioned and prep a re d. 

It fo rmed the basis of discussion at a wo rkshop 

held in early 2000. This Group hosted 

the 5th Steering Committee meeting and organised 

a symposium in association with 

t h at meeting. Seve ral analytical rep o rts have 

also been prep a re d, i n cluding pap e rs focussing 

on mangroves and fo rests. 

• S o u t h e rn Cone SUSG: M a ria Elena Zac 

c agnini is Chair. Inaugural members ’ 

meeting held November 1997. At a second 

m e m b e rs ’ meeting in Ju ly 1998, a wo rk 

plan strat egy was deve l o p e d. A rep o rt entitled 

“ S t at e - o f - t h e - A rt of Sustainable Use in 

the Southern Cone” was also pro d u c e d. 

This Group is heav i ly invo l ved in the deve lopment 

of an analytical fra m ewo rk for sust 

a i n able use. 

• C e n t ral A f rica SUSG: Djoh a Ndiang is 

C h a i r. Seve ral netwo rk meetings we re held 

d u ring the quadrennium. The fo l l owing topics 

have been identified as pri o ri t i e s : 

Species 137

s t rengthening community-based management 

of wild species; improving know l e d ge 

of wild species in the region; ex ch a n ging info 

rm ation with bodies empowe red to adopt 

l egal and institutional fra m ewo rks; and, e st 

ablishing and developing a functional cons 

u l t ation and info rm ation ex ch a n ge 

f ra m ewo rk . 

• E a s t e rn A f rica SUSG: Paul Makenzi is 

C h a i r. Seve ral national wo rkshops we re 

held over the course of the quadrennium. A 

wo rkplan was deve l o p e d, i n cluding the development 

of case studies (ongoing) and 

c o n t ri buting to Pan A f rican activities. A 

p aper was presented at the 8th Global Biod 

ive rsity Fo ru m , August 1997, M o n t re a l , 

C a n a d a :“ Traditional Values in Biodive rs i t y 

C o n s e rvat i o n : an East A f rican pers p e c t ive 

on re s e a rch and extension in nat u ral res 

o u rces manage m e n t .” 

• West A f rica SUSG: Ambouta Karimou is 

C h a i r. The Group organised a regi o n a l 

“Species in Tra d e ”Wo rkshop in Ghana, O ctober 

1997. An ambitious two - year pro j e c t 

funded by the European Commission conc 

e rning trade in species in re l ation to 

CITES was undert a ken. The deve l o p m e n t 

of national netwo rks has continu e d. A n o t her 

major ach i evement was hosting the 2nd 

Pan A f rican Symposium on the Use of Natu 

ral Resources in A f ri c a ,in Ju ly 2000. 

• S o u t h e rn A f rica SUSG: In 1998 the Gro u p 

e s t ablished a series of e-mail discussion 

groups. Rowan Martin stepped down as 

Chair and was replaced by Nicholas Ellenb 

oggen. Among the gro u p ’s projects is a 

f u rther initiat ive in the use of theat re as a 

means of analysis and commu n i c ation on 

s u s t a i n able use issues. Funded by the GEF 

t h rough A RT, this is a fo l l ow up to the 

“ G u a rdians of Eden” p ro d u c t i o n ,the fo c u s 

h e re being on local and national intera c t i o n s 

rather than global interre l ationships. Pres 

e n t ations have been made across the regi o n 

in village and urban contexts. Members of 

the group have also contri buted pap e rs to 

the GBF and SBSTTA meetings. 

• C e n t ral Asia SUSG: Naseer Ta reen is Chair. 

A wo rkshop was held in Ky rgyzstan in May 

138 Species 

1998 in wh i ch 30 participants from Comm 

o n wealth of Independent States (CIS) and 

Pakistan part i c i p at e d. Input was provided to 

IUCN Pakistan and the Env i ronmental Law 

Center Bonn to draft a model wildlife law 

for Pakistan. The group was instrumental in 

re a c t ivating the National Council for Cons 

e rvation of Wi l d l i fe (NCCW), wh i ch met 

in Ap ril 1998 after a lapse of seven ye a rs . 

• East Asia SUSG: Salleh Mohd Nor step p e d 

d own as Chair. Chen hin Keong is Interi m 

C h a i r. The Group has been engaged in developing 

regional case studies and pro j e c t 

p ro p o s a l s , i n cluding sustainable use of 

f re s h water re s o u rces. 

• Pa c i fic Islands SUSG: This Group wa s 

fo rmed in 1998 and is led by Gaikov i n a 

Kula. Membership is under development. 

• Au s t ra l i a / N ew Zealand SUSG: G ra h a m e 

Webb is Chair. A symposium on sustainabl e 

use of wildlife was held under the auspices 

of the Society for Conservation Biology 

Meeting (Sydney, 1998). Assessments of 

va rious national sustainable use issues have 

been done, and a list-server was establ i s h e d 

to enable the membership to ex ch a n ge 

v i ews and info rm ation. Th rough agre e m e n t 

with the Nort h e rn Te rri t o ries Unive rs i t y, rec 

ruitment of an officer who will teach at the 

U n ive rsity and service the Group as Exe c ut 

ive Officer is now under way. 

• N o rth A m e rican SUSG: Jim Teer is Chair. 

The Group hosted a SUSG “think tank” 

meeting on a global analytic synthesis of 

s u s t a i n able use in Sep t e m b e r-October 1997 

in Texas and the 6th Wo rking Meeting of 

the Steering Committee held in Florida in 

Ju ly, 1999. It has developed a sub-regi o n a l 

c o n s o rtium of sch o l a rs , l a rge ly in the S. F. 

B ay are a , who have contri buted to the GBF 

and SBSTTA meetings held in Montreal in 

1999. Together with the Europe SUSG, i t 

o rganised a one-day symposium on sustainable 

use at the Intern ational Wi l d l i fe Congress 

in Hunga ry, Ju n e - Ju ly 1999. Th e 

G roup contri buted to Volume II of the SUI 

Te chnical Seri e s : Te nu re and Sustainabl e 

U s e. A rev i ew of the mission, go a l s ,and obj 

e c t ives of the Group was completed and 

will be used as the basis of a strat egic plan.

• A rctic SUSG: R i ch a rd Langlais is Chair. 

Fo rmed in 1998, an inaugural members ’ 

meeting was held in Canada. A listserve r 

was also established to enhance commu n ic 

ation. The Group also contri buted to Vo lume 

II of the SUI Te chnical Seri e s : Te nu re 

and Sustainable Use. 

• E u ropean SUSG: Robin Sharp is Chair. 

O ver the quadrennium the Group deve l o p e d 

five thematic Wo rking Gro u p s :A gri c u l t u re, 

Fi s h e ri e s , Fo re s t ry, To u rism and Recreat 

i o n , and Use of Wild Fauna. Seve ral netwo 

rk meetings we re held and contri bu t i o n s 

we re made in intern ational meetings incl u ding 

the Global Biodive rsity Fo rum 10 (Slova 

k i a , M ay 1998), a wo rkshop of CBD 

S e c re t a ri at and FAO on agri c u l t u re and biod 

ive rs i t y, ( I t a ly, December 1998), and an 

OECD Wo rkshop on agro - e nv i ro n m e n t a l 

i n d i c at o rs (United Kingdom, S ep t e m b e r 

1998). Members of the Group also part i c ip 

ated in regional IUCN meetings. 

Taking note of the view ex p ressed by regi o n a l 

ch a i rs that consolidation of existing RSUSGs 

should take pri o rity over the expansion of the 

SUSG to new regi o n s , the Exe c u t ive has been 

cautious about encouraging the establ i s h m e n t 

of any new RSUSGs. Howeve r, the Steeri n g 

Committee has ap p roved the development of 

groups in North A f ri c a , South A s i a , and the 

C a ri bbean. 

E s t ablishment of Sub-Committees 

of the Steering Committee 

The SUSG Steering Committee establ i s h e d 

t h ree sub-committees to add ress technical and 

a n a lytic issues, global policy issues and commu 

n i c ations issues: 

• C o m mu n i c ations Committee. A pre l i m i n a ry 

s t rat egic plan for SUI commu n i c ations has 

been dra f t e d. 

• Po l i cy Committee. Fo rm ation in 1999. 

Functions at present continue to be carri e d 

out pri m a ri ly by the Exe c u t ive and the GST. 

• Te chnical A dv i s o ry Committee. B egan the 

p rocess that led to the development of a 

p aper entitled “ S u s t a i n able Use within an 

Ecosystem Ap p ro a ch ” , wh i ch was submitted 

as an info rm ation paper to the 5th meeting 

of the Subsidiary Body for Scientifi c, 

Te ch n i c a l ,and Te ch n o l ogical A dvice of the 

C o nvention on Biological Dive rs i t y. A n 

“A n a lytical Fra m ewo rk for Unders t a n d i n g 

the Fa c t o rs that affect the Sustainable Use 

of Living Nat u ral Resourc e s ” has also been 

p ro d u c e d. 


M e m b e rship has been fluid but is in ge n e ral inc 

re a s i n g. A draft Membership Dire c t o ry wa s 

p roduced in Ju ly, 1 9 9 9 ,s h owing a members h i p 

as fo l l ow s : 

No. of No. of 

M e m b e rs by C o u n t ri e s 

B road Cat egroy R e s p re s e n t e d 

A f ri c a 1 6 6 2 6 

A s i a / Pa c i fic Islands 6 3 1 8 

D eveloped Regi o n s 1 5 5 3 7 

L atin A m e ri c a 4 1 8 

To t a l : 4 2 5 8 9 

I n fe rences drawn from these fi g u res must be 

cautious. Th ey do not include fi g u res from the 

Andean SUSG or the emerging groups in 

N o rth A f ri c a , South Asia and the Cari bb e a n , 

nor do they distinguish between active and dormant 

membership. Th ey do, h oweve r, i n d i c at e 

an impre s s ive swe ep of SUSG members h i p 

a c ross the spectrum of countries in IUCN’s 

global members h i p . 

A c t ivities and Outputs 

A c t ivities by regional RSUSGs are ve ry bri e fly 

s u m m a rised ab ove, and the text does not include 

a wide va riety of intra - regional sch o l a rship 

and policy - re l evant deb ate in wh i ch 

SUSG members have been invo l ve d. The dra f ting 

of the IUCN Po l i cy Statement of Sustainable 

Use was an intera c t ive process invo l v i n g 

the SUSG and the SSC in seve ral dra f t s , a n d 

has now been turned over to the SSC for pre se 

n t ation at the Amman Congre s s . 

Species 139

Fund Raising 

For the period 1995-March 1999, a total of US 

$938,000 was ra i s e d. Of this, US $574,000 

was raised by the GST and US $363,500 by the 

e ffo rts of RSUSGs. In considering these fi gu 

re s ,c e rtain points need to be kept in mind: 

• These fi g u res do not include funds raised to 

maintain the GST’s service functions to the 

S U S G, i n cluding the publ i c ation of SUSG 

p ap e rs ; 

• C e rtain funds raised by RSUSGs have esc 

aped the GST’s re c o rd large ly because 

t h ey invo l ve multiple recipients at regi o n a l 

l evels and are fo rm a l ly accounted for by 

other service agencies. The GEF contri bution 

to the “ G u a rdians of Eden II” i n i t i at ive 

in Southern A f rica through A RT 

(US$650,000+) is an ex a m p l e ; 

• In-kind and vo l u n t a ry time is not incl u d e d ; 

• Th ey do not include funds raised since 

M a rch 1999, some of wh i ch are “in the 

p i p e l i n e ”and in significant amounts. 

SUSG Constitution 

At its Ju ly 1999 meeting, the Steering Committee 

ap p roved a Constitution for the SUSG. 

The Constitution was care f u l ly vetted to ensure 

t h at it was consistent with SSC and IUCN 

s t atutes and by - l aw s , p rior to ap p roval. Give n 

the size and spread of SUSG members h i p , t h e 

Constitution was felt necessary to maintain 

c o n s i s t e n cy within the dive rsity of regi o n a l 

c o n t exts and programmes that SUSG incorp orates. 

The Constitution also provides for tra n sp 

a re n cy and throughput in the selection of 

l e a d e rship roles in the SUSG. 

SUSG/SSC Intera c t i o n s 

As SUSG Chair, I have had the opportunity to 

p a rt i c i p ate in the fo l l owing SSC meetings: 

• S t e e ring Committee held in Gland, Ap ri l 

1 9 9 7 ; 

• S t e e ring Committee held in Bra z i l , Ju n e 

1998; and 

• S t rat egic Planning held in Tu n i s i a , M a rch 

1 9 9 9 . 

140 Species 

R ep o rts on SUSG activities we re made to each 

of these meetings. All minutes of the SSC 

S t e e ring Committee and Exe c u t ive Committee 

h ave been circ u l ated to the SUSG Steeri n g 

C o m m i t t e e. 

The SSC Strat egic Planning Process has 

a s ked the SUSG to give particular attention to 

O b j e c t ive 2 of its log - f rame pro j e c t i o n s , i . e. 

“ To encourage users of nat u ral re s o u rces to 

adopt modes of production and consumption 

t h at promote the conservation of biodive rs i t y.” 

SUSG/SUI has proposed three sub-objective s 

and a series of products that should fo rm a 

focus for future activities. These we re conside 

red by SSC at its Strat egic Planning Exe rc i s e 

in March 2000. 

R e l ationships between SUSG/SUI 

andIUCN Headquart e rs , G l a n d 

At its teleconfe rence meeting held 18th Aug 

u s t , 1998 the Exe c u t ive add ressed a “ S i t u ation 

A n a ly s i s ” c i rc u l ated to the Exe c u t ive on 

14th Au g u s t ,1998 by Steve Edwa rd s ,based on 

recent meetings he had attended at IUCN 

H e a d q u a rt e rs. This circ u l ation info rmed the 

E xe c u t ive inter alia that : 

• t h e re we re growing criticisms in the Secret 

a ri at concerning the perfo rmance of the 

SUI/SUSG; 

• a l l o c ations to the SUI for 1999 we re like ly 

to be diminished; and 

• the Secre t a ri at had been considering the init 

i ation of a Global Initiat ive on Sustainabl e 

Use (GISU). 

With agreement from the Exe c u t ive and after 

receipt of further documentation I wrote to the 

D i rector General on 17th Sep t e m b e r, 1998 asking 

for further cl a ri fi c at i o n ,to wh i ch he rep l i e d 

on 23rd Sep t e m b e r, 1998. The letter speaks of 

a “ growing unease within the Secre t a ri at and 

the membership on the wo rk of the SUI,” a n d 

ex p resses concerns wh i ch can be summari s e d 

under three headings: 

• O rga n i s ation and A d m i n i s t rat i o n— re l at i n g 

p a rt i c u l a rly to stru c t u re, l og - f rame plann 

i n g, m o n i t o ring and eva l u at i o n .

• Pe r fo rmance and Outputs— s t ating that “ i t 

is today not clear that SUI is indeed cl a ri f ying 

and strengthening the wo rk of the wider 

Union on sustainable use,” and indicat i n g 

t h at allocations to SUI in 1999 would be 

“conditional upon the development of a 

clear set of perfo rmance targets wh i ch 

should be monitored over the course of the 

ye a r.” 

• R e l ationships and Co-ord i n ation with 

Other Components of the Union— s u gge s ting 

that “the SUI has developed into a parallel 

operation that is having little impact on 

the Union’s progra m m e.” 

At its meeting in Chicago , O c t o b e r, 1998 the 

E xe c u t ive considered these points and they 

we re later taken up at a meeting between the 

D i rector Genera l , the Director of Global Programmes 

(Pat ri ck Dugan) and myself held in 

Gland in October, 1998. Our responses to the 

points made by the Director General are summ 

a rised in a letter to him by myself dated 20 

O c t o b e r, 1998. The Exe c u t ive noted that the 

issue of stru c t u re was being add ressed thro u g h 

the fo rm ation of the three sub-committees 

mentioned in this rep o rt , but agreed that a system 

of planning and perfo rmance indicat o rs 

should be deve l o p e d. It felt that the outputs of 

SUI/SUSG had been underrat e d, p a rt i c u l a rly 

in terms of contri butions to the GBF, S B S T TA 

(CBD) and STAP (GEF). The Exe c u t ive rejected 

the notion that the SUSG and SUI had 

been deliberat e ly ex cl u s i o n a ry in their activ it 

i e s , a c c epting that there we re cases wh e re rel 

ationships with RCOs or other progra m m e s 

had been tenuous but noting close collab o ration 

in other instances. At the same time the 

E xe c u t ive agreed that liaison between the 

SUSG/SUI and other IUCN progra m m e s 

needed to be improve d. It felt that the SUI A dv 

i s o ry Group needed to be re a c t ivated to rep resent 

the larger constituency of the Union’s 

i n t e rest in sustainable use, while maintaining 

the centrality of the regional SUSG stru c t u re 

and suggested that a further wo rkshop on these 

issues be conve n e d. 

In March 1999, a wo rkshop was conve n e d 

in Gland under the title: “ M a n i festing the 

U n i o n ’s Commitment to Sustainable Use,” t o 

c a rry fo r wa rd discussion on the issues men- 

tioned ab ove. Steering Committee members in 

attendance we re Ambouta Kari m o u , M a ri a 

Elena Zaccag n i n i , John Robinson, and Marshall 

Murp h re e. 

As a result of the wo rk s h o p ,the IUCN Sust 

a i n able Use A dv i s o ry Group has been re a c t ivated 

as the body re s p o n s i ble for prov i d i n g 

a dvice to the Director General and Chair of 

SSC on the orga n i s ation of a Union-wide wo rk 

p rogramme on sustainable use and the stru ct 

u res needed to implement it. The Chair of the 

SUSG rep resents the views and interests of 

SUSG within that ve nu e. The A dv i s o ry Gro u p 

met in Gland in Feb ru a ry 2000. 

Two rev i ews of sustainable use issues in the 

IUCN have been commissioned. The fi rs t , a 

ge n e ral internal rev i ew of sustainable use act 

ivities in the Union, has been completed. Th e 

s e c o n d, an ex t e rnal rev i ew of SUI/SUSG, i s 

n e a ring completion but is not ava i l able at the 

time of wri t i n g. 

R e flections from the Chair 

M a ny of the issues raised in this rep o rt have 

their roots in more perva s ive and long-standing 

d i ffe rences of opinion in the Union rega rd i n g 

the re s p e c t ive roles and status of the Secre t a riat 

and its progra m m e s , and the Commissions 

and their vo l u n t a ry memberships. SUSG has 

been drawn into prominence in this deb at e. In 

p a rt ,this is because of the heightened pro file of 

s u s t a i n able use in the Union, the increasing imp 

o rtance given to the topic by donor age n c i e s 

and the fact that its subject matter re a ches beyond 

the SSC to other Commissions and programmes 

of the Union. 

H o p e f u l ly, the rev ived SUI A dv i s o ry Gro u p 

will be able to give clear direction on the ro l e s 

and responsibilities of the va rious components 

of the Union wh i ch deal with sustainable use. 

As a specialist group of the SSC it is cl e a r, 

h oweve r, t h at the SUSG retains a pri m a ry responsibility 

for the production and delive ry at 

global and regional levels of pro fe s s i o n a l 

a n a lyses on the subject. 

O rga n i s at i o n a l ly, the regional stru c t u re of 

the SUSG has been a pioneering enterp rise fo r 

the Union that should be re t a i n e d. It has posed 

a number of administrat ive pro blems and it 

must be accepted that the va rious regi o n a l 

Species 141

groups are at diffe rent stages of deve l o p m e n t 

and pro d u c t iv i t y. Both the context and the levels 

of motivation for vo l u n t a ry pro fe s s i o n a l 

c o n t ri butions differ across regions. I believe 

t h at a mu ch fi n e r- grained analysis of our memb 

e rship than that now ava i l able in our dra f t 

M e m b e rship Dire c t o ry should be part of our 

o rga n i s ational strat egy for the future. On the 

other hand, our regional stru c t u re provides opp 

o rtunities for comparat ive and gro u n d e d 

a n a ly s i s , and for the regional delive ry of res 

e a rch re s u l t s , wh i ch far outweigh any of its 

p ro bl e m s . 

The continued support of the GST will be 

re q u i re d. SUSG has been fo rt u n ate in having a 

p ro fessional program staff wh i ch has seen its 

role as nu rt u ring and supporting the vo l u n t a ry 

n e t wo rk ,rather than rega rding the RSUSGs as 

adjuncts to a Headquart e rs – d i rected progra 

m m e. At the present stage of its deve l o pm 

e n t , h oweve r, the SUSG remains heav i ly 

d ependent on the integrat ive and administrat ive 

c apacities of the GST although the Steeri n g 

Committee seeks to reduce this dep e n d e n c e. 

The fact that 39% of the funds rep o rted on in 

Section 7 of this rep o rt we re raised at regi o n a l 

l evels suggests that progress in this respect can 

be made over time. 

An operat ive level of collab o ration betwe e n 

the wo rk of the SUSG and other progra m m e s 

and Commissions of the Union will also be req 

u i re d. We look to the A dv i s o ry Group for assistance 

in this objective. 

142 Species 

Within the SSC, t h e re is an excellent fra m ewo 

rk for integrating the wo rk of the SUSG and 

other specialist gro u p s , as ipart of the SSC 

S t rat egic Plan. Implementation of this fra m ewo 

rk will, h oweve r, re q u i re mu ch closer co-ord 

i n at i o n ,and indeed joint sch o l a rs h i p ,b e t we e n 

the SUSG and other SSC specialist gro u p s , 

p a rt i c u l a rly at national and regional levels. A t 

the moment there is little contact betwe e n 

m e m b e rs of diffe rent specialist groups at these 

l evels. Initiat ive s , i n cluding a listing of SSC 

m e m b e rs by country and specialist group affi li 

at i o n ,and the identifi c ation of key areas for att 

e n t i o n ,would assist this pro c e s s . 

A ck n ow l e d ge m e n t s 

In conclusion I would like to thank all those 

who have contri buted to the wo rk of the SUSG 

d u ring the quadrennium. These include those 

ch a i rs who have vo l u n t a ri ly given their va l uable 

time to enhance the wo rk of their regi o n a l 

groups and the global interests of the SUSG. I 

grat e f u l ly ack n ow l e d ge the wo rk of my coll 

e agues in the Exe c u t ive, whose dedication to 

the interests of the SUSG has been exe m p l a ry. 

Fi n a l ly, let me thank Steve Edwa rds and his 

GST staff. Their task is not an easy one, responding 

as they must to two sets of imperat 

ives. This notwithstanding, their effo rts on our 

behalf have been tireless and consistently committed 

to our intere s t s . 

M. W. Murp h re e, C h a i r

Ve t e ri n a ry Specialist Gro u p 

In recent ye a rs it has become clear that health 

(and disease) issues can be of critical importance 

for the conservation of the env i ro n m e n t 

and the dive rsity of wildlife it support s . 

As the effe c t ive hab i t at of wildlife populations 

continues inex o rably to contract under 

the bu rgeoning demands of the human species 

for living space, so the prevalence of densityd 

ependant diseases tends to incre a s e. 

H oweve r, disease has always been a component 

in the nat u ral selection equation and 

h a s , on occasion, had a marked effect on 

w i l d l i fe population dynamics. Indeed, u n t i l 

about 200 ye a rs ago human nu m b e rs thems 

e l ves we re substantially controlled by disease 

in many parts of the wo rl d. 

It is now well re c ognised that some wildlife 

p o p u l ations find themselves so depleted that an 

o u t b reak of a fatal or deb i l i t ating disease could 

result in the extinction of suscep t i ble species. 

A n d, as noted ab ove, m a ny of these wild pop- 

u l ations are depleted and fragmented as a 

d i rect result of human expansion and competit 

i o n . 

S a d ly, disease thre ats often arise thro u g h 

contact of wild animals with domestic lives 

t o ck of all species at the env i ronmental interfa 

c e, although these thre ats can sometimes be 

the result of “ s p i l l - ove r ” f rom either dire c t i o n . 

The risk of “ s p i l l - ove r ” of disease age n t s , 

one way or the other, is often ex a c e r b ated by 

the commercial movement of domestic lives 

t o ck or when wild animals, raised or held in 

c ap t iv i t y, a re tra n s l o c ated from one biome to 

another for conservat i o n , s p o rting or we l fa re 

re a s o n s . 

It is plainly of gre at importance to re c og n i s e 

and wh e re possible to minimise the potentially 

n egat ive economic and conservation consequences 

of these activ i t i e s ,e s p e c i a l ly now that 

t ra n s l o c at i o n , wh i ch embodies re l o c at i o n , 

re s t o rat i o n , re s t o cking and sometimes re h ab i l- 

Species 143

i t at i o n , is such an incre a s i n g ly popular and 

often high pro file wildlife management and 

c o n s e rvation tech n i q u e. 

After many months of prep a rat i o n , d u ri n g 

wh i ch more than 30 wildlife ve t e ri n a rians and 

e c o l ogi s t s , s c at t e red all over the wo rl d, h ave 

f re e ly donated their ex p e rience and ex p e rt i s e, 

the Ve t e ri n a ry Specialist Group is about to publish 

an ex t re m e ly important booklet entitled 

“ Q u a rantine and Health Screening Pro t o c o l s 

for Wild Animals prior to Tra n s l o c ation and 

Release into the Wi l d.” 

This booklet endeavo u rs , on a taxon by 

taxon basis, to provide a source of re fe rence 

for info rm ation rega rding quara n t i n e, h e a l t h 

s c reening pro c e d u re s , and pre - release tre atment 

and immu n i s ation for many wild mammals 

(including mars u p i a l s ) , b i rd s , rep t i l e s , 

amphibians and fish. It is hoped that an SSC 

Specialist Group that writes a tra n s l o c at i o n 

component into its Action Plan will consider 

consulting this booklet befo re moving any ani 

m a l s , even over a short distance. 

The reader is stro n g ly reminded that once 

an animal is released into the wild it is ve ry 

ra re ly possible to re c over either that animal or 

the menage rie of potential pat h ogens and parasites 

that it could be carry i n g. 

This booklet, wh i ch it is hoped will be 

ava i l able in time for the Wo rld Conservat i o n 

Union Congress in Amman in October 2000, i s 

being produced with funding and tech n i c a l 

s u p p o rt from the Office Intern ational des Epizooties 

in Pa ris (OIE), C a re for the Wild Intern 

ational (CftW Int.) in UK, the Euro p e a n 

A s s o c i ation of Zoo and Wi l d l i fe Ve t e ri n a ri a n s 

(EAZWV) in Switze rland and the IUCN. 

The Ve t e ri n a ry Specialist Group is also 

about to publish (with similar support) another 

useful booklet entitled “ Po s t m o rtem Pro c ed 

u res for Wi l d l i fe Ve t e ri n a rians and Field Biologi 

s t s .” This publ i c ation describes in detail the 

c o rrect pro c e d u re for carrying out a postm 

o rtem ex a m i n ation on a wild animal in the 

field and how safe ly to collect, p re s e rve and 

t ra n s p o rt to the lab o rat o ry, the whole ra n ge of 

d i agnostic specimens. 

144 Species 

Both the ab ove booklets will eve n t u a l ly be 

ava i l abl e, at a nominal ch a rge, f rom the UK office 

of Care for the Wi l d, A s h fo l d s , H o rs h a m 

R o a d, R u s p e r, S u s s ex , RH 12 4QX, U n i t e d 

Kingdom and will be accessible on the intern e t 

( for details: see the next VSG New s l e t t e r ) . 

Recent activities in wh i ch members of the 

VSG have played an important part have included 

the provision of adv i c e, at the request of 

the Ghana Wi l d l i fe Society in A c c ra , on the 

wisdom of allowing the tra n s l o c ation fro m 

USA and release into the wild in Ghana, of a 

number of cap t ive ch i m p a n zees. While there 

we re potential ve t e ri n a ry hazards to be take n 

into account, the VSG pri m at o l ogists adv i s e d 

against this tra n s l o c ation on the grounds that 

the considerable ethical issues had not been 

p ro p e rly add re s s e d. In the eve n t , the Pre s i d e n t 

of Ghana intervened and the proposed tra n s l oc 

ation project was disallowe d. 

D u ring October 1999 the VSG was app 

ro a ch e d, t h rough the Wi l d l i fe Info rm at i o n 

N e t wo rk in London, by Te s faye Hundessa, 

G e n e ral Manager of the Ethiopian Wi l d l i fe 

C o n s e rvation Orga n i s at i o n , for advice on the 

m a n agement of an ex t e n s ive outbreak of ant 

h rax in the Mago National Pa rk , E t h i o p i a . 

The VSG was able to obtain specialist advice 

from seve ral intern ational anthrax ex p e rt s 

who corresponded dire c t ly with Te s faye Hundessa 

and advised on how safe ly to dispose of 

the many carcasses of lesser kudu (Trage l aphus 

imberbis) and other animals that succumbed 

during the anthrax enzo o t i c. 

The ab ove are two excellent examples of 

the ability of the Ve t e ri n a ry Specialist Gro u p 

sw i f t ly to mobilise and dispense on re q u e s t , 

specialised advice of a high pro fessional stand 

a rd, a ny wh e re in the wo rl d. 

M i chael Wo o d fo rd, C h a i r

D e clining Amphibian Po p u l ations Task Fo rc e 

R ep o rt on A c t ivities over the Pa s t 

Triennium and Plans for the Future 

The Task Fo rce continues to maintain the global 

netwo rk dedicated to identifying and understanding 

the nat u re and causes of amphibian 

d e clines and disap p e a rances. The Task Fo rce is 

o rga n i zed into a series of issue-based and ge ograp 

h i c a l ly-based wo rking gro u p s , wh i ch fe e d 

i n fo rm ation into our central office at the Open 

U n ive rs i t y, UK. One of the pri m a ry sources of 

i n fo rm ation distri bution is through our 

n ew s l e t t e r, Frog l og, wh i ch is now issued six 

times a ye a r. Frog l og is sent to a mailing list of 

over 3,000 add resses and is also disseminat e d 

via our web site and over the A m p h i b i a n D ecline 

list server on the Internet. The central 

o ffice ove rsight is maintained by the Intern ational 

Dire c t o r, Tim Halliday. Office operations 

are managed by the Intern at i o n a l 

C o o rd i n at o r, John Wi l k i n s o n . 

One of the most effe c t ive leve raging activ ities 

undert a ken by the DAPTF is the seed gra n t 

p rogram. This program has been ve ry successful 

in providing small grants to individuals fo r 

re s e a rch projects determined to have the highest 

pro b ability of understanding the amphibian 

d e cline and disap p e a rance phenomenon. Res 

e a rch pri o rities are set by the DAPTF Board 

of Dire c t o rs. We have learned that , on ave rage, 

e a ch dollar awa rded has resulted in inve s t i gat 

o rs being able to obtain an additional $20 in 

m at ching or new funds, based on the studies 

funded by the seed grant program. On ave rage, 

e a ch seed grant yields between one and two 

p u bl i c ations. Th rough 1998, the DAPTF has 

awa rded 44 gra n t s , rep resenting a total outlay 

of $92,000. We re c e n t ly awa rded a new ro u n d 

of seed gra n t s , for a total of $20,228.00. 

One of the long-term goals of the DA P T F 

has been to orga n i ze all the info rm ation on the 

amphibian decline pro blem so that it is easily 

a c c e s s i ble and ava i l able to all interested parties. 

Determining ex a c t ly how to accomplish 

this task has invo l ved considerable thought and 

Species 145

d eb at e. The process was given a boost by the 

C l i m atic and A t m o s p h e ric Change Wo rk i n g 

G roup Chair, C i n dy Carey, who together with 

Ron Heyer obtained a NASA awa rd to ex p l o re 

whether any NASA data could either support 

or reject global cl i m ate fa c t o rs as causal fa c t o rs 

for widespread amphibian declines from protected 

hab i t ats. Carey put together a group of 

amphibian biologists familiar with known declines 

and disap p e a rances. One of the re q u i rements 

for this project was a dat abase of all 

ava i l able data on wh e re declines we re know n 

to occur and wh e re amphibian populations are 

h e a l t hy. This group devised a set of data elements 

needed to add ress the amphibian decl i n e 

phenomenon and assembled a set of publ i s h e d 

d ata into a dat abase fo rm at. This data design 

was used by the DAPTF as a template for a 

m o re compre h e n s ive dat ab a s e. Juliet Kauffmann 

developed a dat abase ap p l i c ation for the 

DA P T F, for wh i ch sample data we re demons 

t rated to the Board Members at the June 1999 

B o a rd Meeting. The Board enthusiastically acc 

epted the design and Kauffmann has subseq 

u e n t ly been given a two - year postdoctora l 

fe l l owship from Conservation Intern ational to 

implement the final pro d u c t , wh i ch will be designed 

pri m a ri ly as a CD product. The title of 

the CD is “ D e clining Amphibian Dat ab a s e.” 

The Task Fo rce has been influential in ra i sing 

the pro file of the amphibian pro blem within 

the scientific and political communities. Fo r 

ex a m p l e, Task Fo rce Board Members we re ins 

t rumental in bri n ging about a National Science 

Fo u n d at i o n - s p o n s o red wo rkshop on 

amphibian declines and defo rmities that led to 

a multi-million dollar, mu l t i n ational NSF 

awa rd to study the disease aspects of the decline 

and defo rmity pro blems. Task Fo rc e 

B o a rd Members we re also instrumental in 

b ri n ging the amphibian issues to the at t e n t i o n 

of the US Secre t a ry of the Interi o r, B ruce Babbitt. 

Th i s , in turn , has led to a fe d e ral interage 

n cy task fo rce on amphibian declines and 

d e fo rmities and has resulted in new funding 

within the Dep a rtment of Interior for studies 

s p e c i fic to the amphibian decline pro bl e m . 

The Task Fo rce is curre n t ly focussing on act 

ivities to provide a summary of all known info 

rm ation re l ated to the amphibian decline and 

146 Species 

d i s ap p e a rance phenomenon by 2001-2002. 

This summary will be in the fo rm of thre e 

p roducts. 

1 . A book co-edited by Tim Halliday and Jim 

H a n ken with individual ch ap t e rs by ex p e rt s 

t h at will summari ze info rm ation by either 

studies or topical are a s , s u ch as causal 

agents. This book will be published and dist 

ri buted by the Cambri d ge Unive rsity Pre s s , 

UK. 

2 . A CD of data on the amphibian decl i n e s 

t h at will include softwa re needed for easy 

s e a rching cap abilities (also see ab ove ) . 

3 . A book edited by John Wilkinson on Wo rking 

Group rep o rt summaries. Publ i c at i o n 

o ffset funds have been obtained for this 

p u bl i c at i o n , wh i ch will be printed by the 

I U C N. 

The June 1999 DAPTF Board of Dire c t o rs 

meeting dealt with two major issues. The fi rs t 

was resolution of wh at the nat u re of the pro ducts 

should be for the 2001-2002 summary effo 

rts. The second was wh at should happen to 

the Task Fo rce after this major summary take s 

p l a c e. One option considered was whether the 

Task Fo rce should disband upon completion of 

the summary activities. After considerable disc 

u s s i o n ,t h e re was a final consensus that there 

would still be a need for global awa reness of 

the amphibian decline phenomenon after 2001, 

e s p e c i a l ly for the scientific issues invo l ve d. A s 

this has been the strength of the Task Fo rc e, t h e 

B o a rd concluded that the Task Fo rce needs to 

s t ay in existence beyond 2001 to complete its 

o ri ginal mandat e. Howeve r, it was also re c ogn 

i zed by the Board that some ch a n ge in the 

d i rection of the Task Fo rce should be implemented 

and that an ap p ro p ri ate way of implementing 

new directions would be to phase in 

n ew Task Fo rce leadership. Consequently, a 

n ew Chair has been identifi e d. James Hanke n 

took over as Chair during the Task Fo rce Board 

Meeting held in June 2000 in La Pa z , Baja Cali 

fo rn i a ,M ex i c o . 

Tim Halliday, I n t e rn ational Dire c t o r 

Jim Hanke n , C h a i r 

Ron Heye r, Past Chair

In order to maintain an effe c t ive S S C c o m mu n i c ations 

netwo rk , we need your submissions and 

u p d ates for S p e c i e s . Submissions for S p e c i e s 3 5 

a re due December 4, 2000. Submissions should be 

a dd ressed to: 

M i chael Klemens, S p e c i e s E d i t o r 

Wi l d l i fe Conservation Society 

M e t ropolitan Conservation A l l i a n c e 

68 Purchase Stre e t , 3 rd fl o o r 

R ye, N ew Yo rk 10580 

Fa x : (914) 925-9164 

E - m a i l : s p e c i e s e d i t o r @ w c s . o rg 

For add ress ch a n ge s ,n o t i f y : 

G abi A l l e n 

Species Program Offi c e 

I U C N H e a d q u a rt e rs 

Ave de Mauve rn ey 28 

CH-1196 Gland, S w i t ze rl a n d 

P h o n e : 41 22 999 0151 

Fa x : 41 22 999 0015 

E - m a i l : g b a @ h q . i u c n . o rg 

S S C m e m b e rs are also stro n g ly encouraged to 

s u b s c ribe to the S S C l i s t s e rve r. To do so, send an 

e-mail to S S C- m e m - ow n e r @ i n d ab a . i u c n . o rg with 

the message “ s u b s c ribe S S C- m e m b e rs ”a n d 

your e-mail add re s s . 

S u b s c ri p t i o n s 

A n nual subscriptions (two issues) can be obtained 

by writing the Species Surv ival Commission, 

c/o Canadian Wi l d l i fe Serv i c e, 351 St. Jo s ep h 

B l v d. ,H u l l , Q u ebec K1A 0H3 Canada; E-mail: 

s s c _ i u c n @ e c. g c. c a .

C at Specialist Gro up

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